GENERAL CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS

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3006 BERN, SWITZERLAND

EURO-AFRICA DIVISION

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SCHOSSHALDENSTRASSE 17

031 44 02 82

TO: Sabbath School Members

Around the World.

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Dear

Sabbath School Members,

I have been•deegy impiessed by the way the members of the Sabbath School

family are continually helping one'another.: Since I have been working in the

administration, I have observed in the statistical_reports

:the wonderful re-

sults of the enthusiasm generated in our Sabbath Schools for the world-wide

mission program.

Now, we in the Euro-Africa Division are the recipients. Whether we give,

or whether we receive, we are all blessed by God Who looks .with loving favor

upon His children in all lands.

' Even now, before we receive your offering, we would like to thank you for

your sacrifice. We will be directing the

"Overflow7 from the thirteenth

Sabbath to the follOwing very needy projects:

1. Italian Publishing House. The sale of our literature by our litera-

ture evangelists has developed so rapidly that ourpublishing house is too

small to cope with the needs of the work. Built in 1925 when we had only

about 400 members in Italy, this fine institution has served us well. But

now

we must expand,. and we are counting on you to assist us.

- 2. Union Training School - Mozambique. With 14,000 'church members, and

27,000 Sabbath School members, our educational program in Mozambique is

stretched to the limit. We have many elementary schools, but only''one secon-

dary school, namely •Munguluni Training School,„ established in 1957. Unfor7,

tunately, this school has no provision to enable students to earn their board

or tuition.; There is no scope for industry or agriculture. So a new school

is to be built near Beira, which will provide a well balanced training program

forour workers. We are sure you will want to help in this project.

Will you not give generously this thirteenth Sabbath? Let us'prepare for

this offering, and God will bless what we do.

Your brother in the faith,

Oswald Bremer

Associate Secretary

Euro-Africa Division

Daybreak

Adult Sabbath School Lessons

No. 320, April-June, 1975

Editor

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W. Richard Lesher

Editorial Secretary

Florence Wetmore

Circulation Manager



A. R. Mazat

Art Director

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Howard Larkin

Design

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Susan Sprague

Author of Lessons Second

Quarter, 1975

Gottfried Oosterwal

The Adult Sabbath School

Lessons are prepared by the

Sabbath School Department

of the General Conference of

Seventh-day Adventists. The

preparation of the lessons is

under the general direction of

a worldwide Sabbath School

Lesson Committee, the members

of which serve as consulting

editors.

Editorial Office:

6840 Eastern Ave., N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20012

Series

Lesson Titles for the Quarter

The Image of God

Jesus, the Example of God's

Image

The Body and God's Image

The Soul and God's Image

Sin's Beginnings

Man, the Sinner

Man and God

Man and His Fellowman

Man and Nature

10.

Man and Death

11.

Man and Eternal Life

12.

The Image of God Restored

13.

A New Creature

Cover photo by Concerned Communications

Adult Sabbath School Lessons (regular edition). Single copy, 35 cents; four

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year),

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1—AQt—

2-75

"As a means of intellectual training,

the opportunities of the Sabbath are

invaluable. Let the Sabbath-school les-

son be learned, not by a hasty glance

at the lesson scripture on Sabbath

morning, but by careful study for the

next week on Sabbath afternoon, with

daily review or illustration during the

week. Thus the lesson will become

fixed in the memory, a treasure never

to be wholly lost."

—"Education/' pages 251, 252.

I pledge myself to the careful and prayerful study of

some portion of my Sabbath School lesson each day

of the week.

(signed)

The regular Adult Sabbath School Lessons are available free each

month in Braille and 16

rpm records to blind and physically

handicapped persons who cannot read normal inkprint. This in-

cludes individuals who because of arthritis, multiple sclerosis,

paralysis, accidents, old age, and so forth, cannot hold or focus on

normal inkprint publications. Contact the Christian Record Braille

Foundation, Box 6097, Lincoln, Nebraska 68506.

In the Image of God

Introduction

Man has always asked questions about himself: What is life? What is living?

Why is there evil? Where did I come from? Where am I going? Yet never before

has the question, What is man? been of such overwhelming concern to so many

people all over the world.

The reasons are found in what has been happening to us. Evolutionary theory

has eroded the view of man as a creature of God, but it has failed to give man

the meaning of his life and destiny. The revolutionary changes of our time have

affected every aspect of our lives: our work, our personhood, our relation with

other people, our life-style, our interests, and our morality. The thousand-and-one

new ideologies and philosophies on man, including the "new morality" and hun-

dreds of new cults and sects, have caused great intellectual confusion, moral

restlessness, and spiritual bewilderment.

But though there exists a remarkable consensus among thinking people every-

where that man is seriously ill and needs healing, people differ concerning the

real causes of man's illness and brokenness. And how can we even start thinking

about healing man before we know for sure what the disease is and what causes

it? But our understanding of the disease and its causes, and our insights into the

best way to heal and to help man, hinge on the question,

What is man?

In our scientific age many have turned to science for an answer to the ques-

tions about man. Science has given us many insights and great power; but to the

question, What is man? it has no answer. "Man is," wrote Alexis Carrel, scientist

and Nobel Prize winner for physiology, "a great unknown, and a stranger."

Many in our day, therefore, are turning to philosophy, mysticism, occultism, or

spiritualism to find an answer to the pressing question, What is man? But, though

philosophy has greatly enhanced our understanding of man, its insights and find-

ings are so diverse and so contradictory that it is impossible to find in existen-

tialism, Marxism, vitalism, humanism, or any of the many other "isms" a view of

man that is central to them all and that could guide us in the struggles, ques-

tions, and perplexities of life. Philosophers and mystics are human too. They can

look at man only from within their own limited human experience. But there is

no real knowledge about man within man himself.

To find out, therefore, who and what we are, we must go beyond the limita-

tions set by our own senses and experiences. We must turn to a source that lies

outside of man. That source we find in God's revelation; that is, in the inspired

Word of God. Who but the Spirit of God really understands our minds, and who

but God knows our hearts? And as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Prov. 23:7,

KJV. It is as the psalmist says, "In thy light shall we see light." Ps. 36:9.

This quarter's study centers on the Biblical view of man. This is not a mere

theoretical discussion on "dry doctrines"; it is an issue of practical concern.

The Biblical message on man is the only solution to modern man's confusion,

restlessness, and bewilderment. It is like a cup of water to a person dying from

thirst in a desert. It is the only medicine that can heal man from his present

illness, the only cure to restore him from his brokenness. May the insights

gained during this quarter of Bible study inspire us to go out into the world to

announce the good news to all men. May this study also hasten the day when

we shall all be renewed after the image of Christ (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10) and

reflect His character in our lives and thoughts, so that our Lord can come and

our destiny can be fulfilled.

1-AQt--2-75

1HE IMKGE OF GOD

LESSON 1

March 30-April 5

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he

him." Gen. 1:27.

The Bible pictures man as a creature made in the image of God. See Gen.

1:26, 27; 5:1, 2; 9:6; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10; James 3:9. In this term lies the whole

essence of man—his origin, his nature, and his destiny. But what does the term

actually mean? Many books have been written in an attempt to give a right in-

terpretation of the term "the image of God." And there is yet no end to the

debate. What is the difficulty? For one thing, the reality of it is foreign to us.

We cannot point to any ordinary human being who in his life and person fully

reflects the image of God. Furthermore, the Bible itself nowhere gives us a full

and clear definition. To the contrary, from the many texts that speak of the

image of God a rather large variety of meanings emerges. Adam and Eve were

the only persons who, at least for some time, really lived up to their calling as

the image of God; but the descriptions of them in the Bible are very limited.

Would Bible writers have used the term so often if it is impossible for man

to understand its true meaning? Would they have urged us to be renewed after

the image of our Creator if they had not spelled out its meaning? Would Ellen

White so consistently have written about the restoration of the image of God

in man as Jesus' work of redemption if the meaning were unknowable? The

descriptions of Adam, the first man created in the image of God, may be vague.

But the first Adam has been followed by the second Adam. In Jesus Christ,

whom the Scriptures call the very image of God, we find the perfect model of

a true man. See 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15. And the apostle Paul says that the be-

liever has to "put on the new nature, which is being constantly renewed in the

image of its Creator," "which shows itself in the just and devout life." Col. 3:10;

Eph. 4:24, NEB. The conclusion is that by a diligent study of the Word of God,

by comparing scripture with scripture, and by studying the life and the person of

Jesus Christ as the very image of God, we may indeed find the essential meaning

of the term, "image of God."

Ellen White wrote that "the education to be se-

cured by searching the Scriptures is an experimental knowledge of the plan

of salvation. Such an education will restore the image of God in the soul."—

Christ's Object Lessons,

pages 42, 43.

"The word destroys the natural, earthly nature, and imparts a new life in

Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit comes to the soul as a Comforter. By the trans-

forming agency of His grace, the image of God is reproduced in the disciple;

he becomes a new creature."—The

Desire of Ages,

page 391.

LESSON OUTLINE

Man Is a Creature, Acts 17:26-28

To Glorify God, Isa. 43:7;

1 Cor. 6:19, 20

The Divine Seal, Ezek. 20:12, 20

Male and Female, Gen. 1:27; 5:1

To Rule the Earth, Gen. 1:26

And Subdue It, Gen. 1:28

The Image of God

LESSON 1

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❑

Sunday

March30

Part 1

MAN IS A

CREATURE

"And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to

dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the

times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

. . . for in him we live, and move, and have our being." Acts

17:26-28.

The message that emerges from every passage speaking

of man as the image of God (Gen. 1:26, 27; 5:1-3; 9:6; Col.

3:10) is: Man owes his life to God. He does not exist by him-

self. Scientists have advanced theories to explain the origin

of life, but true scientific investigation cannot penetrate the

moment of beginning. We owe our life to God. It did not begin

spontaneously, and it does not continue by itself.

To what events does the Bible ascribe the origin of life in

man? Gen. 2:7.

is apparent that man has no life in himself, no natural

immortality; only God has. But, as a creature made in the image

of God, man was made "to share in the very being of God,"

who is life. 2 Peter 1:4, NEB. See also John 14:6.

What are some of the images used in the Bible to empha-

size man's dependence upon his Maker? Isa. 64:8; Jer.

18:2-11; John 15:5, 6.

What is the meaning of the tree of life in Genesis 2:9?

See also Eph. 5:31.

Basar

(flesh) stands for the whole person in his physical

existence. Since all men are flesh, the word also refers to the

unity that exists between people. Through Noah God made a

covenant with all flesh. Gen. 9:17. God is, indeed, "the God

of all flesh." Jer. 32:27. In fact, the first time the Bible uses

the term "flesh," it is precisely to emphasize that man is a

social being, that the image of God consists of the together-

ness and solidarity between two or more people. To be of one

flesh, therefore, does not just refer to a biological union be-

tween man and woman, but to the fact that they are one family,

one kin, one communion. At marriage, this new communion

takes precedence over the relationship a person has had with

the members of the family in which he has been reared.

How does "being one flesh" help us in our lives? Gen.

37:27.

The more I recognize the oneness of all flesh, the less

hatred there can be between people "of one flesh." "For no

man ever yet hated his own flesh." Eph. 5:29. No man is an

island. It is precisely because of our lack of emphasis on the

fact that all men are made of one flesh—that we are all of one

race (flesh) and therefore brothers—that there is so much

loneliness, competition, and prejudice in the world today. The

Bible challenges us to recognize that to be a person, we must

show solidarity with our neighbor, who is flesh of our flesh, and

therefore our brother and sister.

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THINK IT THROUGH

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What is the meaning of the fact that Jesus became "one

flesh" with us? In which ways did He show His solidarity with

men?

"Of Christ's relation to His people, there is a beautiful illus-

tration in the laws given to Israel. When through poverty a

Hebrew had been forced to part with his patrimony, and to sell

himself as a bondservant, the duty of redeeming him and his

inheritance fell to the one who was nearest of kin. See Lev.

25:25, 47-49; Ruth 2:20. So the work of redeeming us and our

inheritance, lost through sin, fell upon Him who is 'near of kin'

unto us. It was to redeem us that He became our kinsman.

Closer than father, mother, brother, friend, or lover is the Lord

our Saviour."—The

Desire of Ages,

page 327.

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FURTHER STUDY

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The Desire of Ages,

pages 321-327.

The Body and God's Image

LESSON 3

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El Tuesday

April 15

Part 3

A TEMPLE OF

THE HOLY SPIRIT

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the

Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye

are not your own? . . . Therefore glorify God in your body,

and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Cor. 6:19, 20.

The New Testament basically reflects the same view con-

cerning the human body as the Old Testament and therefore

flesh has the following meanings: (1) the whole person in his

physical existence

(Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16; 1 Cor. 1:29), so that

the word "flesh" is interchangeable with the personal pronouns

"I," "me," "you," et cetera. Rom. 7:18; Eph. 5:28; 2 Cor. 7:5.

(2) man as a creature, in contrast with God (2 Cor. 1:17; 10:2;

Eph. 6:10-12); he is mortal. 1 Cor. 15:50-53; 2 Cor. 4:11. (3) man

in his fellowship with other human beings. Rom. 4:1; 9:3-5.

The Bible calls the human, fleshly body a temple for God's

glory. But flesh without God's Spirit produces sin. Flesh can

be used for good or evil.

What does the New Testament tell us concerning Jesus'

body? Gal. 4:4; John 20:25, 27; Luke 24:39.

In Matthew 4:2 we read of Jesus' hunger in the wilderness,

and in John 19:28 of His thirst at the cross. According to

Matthew 8:24 Jesus slept in the ship. Matthew 11:19 says that

He ate and He drank, and Luke 24:41-43 mentions that He

did this even after His resurrection. The testimony is clear:

Jesus was a real human being. He existed in the same kind

of human body as His contemporaries. "He employed the

human faculties, for only by adopting these could He be com-

prehended by humanity. . . . He lived out the character of

God through the human body which God had prepared for

Him. He blessed the world by living out in human flesh the life

of God, thus showing that He had the power to unite humanity

to divinity."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible Commen-

tary,

Vol. 7, p. 924.

THINK IT THROUGH



In what ways do I fail to treat my body as a temple of

the Spirit?

"Wonderful in its significance is the brief record of His early

life: 'The child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with

wisdom: and the grace of God was upon Him.' . . . His mind

was active and penetrating, with a thoughtfulness and wisdom

beyond His years. Yet His character was beautiful in its sym-

metry. The powers of mind and body developed gradually, in

keeping with the laws of childhood."—The

Desire of Ages,

page 68.

FURTHER STUDY

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The Desire of Ages,

pages 116, 117.

The Body and God's Image

LESSON 3



❑

Wednesday

April 16



Part 4

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"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground,

A LIVING

and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man

CREATURE

became a living soul." Gen. 2:7.

What is the meaning of "breath of life"? Gen. 7:22; Ps.

104:29; 150:6; Isa. 2:22; Acts 17:25.

The Hebrew word most commonly used for "breath" is

ruach.

It is the indication of life in man and also refers to the

power of God in nature, in the animal world, and in man. He

moves and sits and thinks and feels and laughs because God

gives him the power, the

ruach,

to do so.

It is often the case with Biblical terms that they defy our

classifications. Not only do they have more than one mean-

ing, these words can often be used interchangeably with other

terms. For instance,

ruach

means breath, wind, spirit, power,

temper, mood, disposition, anger, courage, sadness, attitude,

et cetera. See Joshua 5:1 and Judges 8:3.

Who is the owner of man's spirit? Num. 16:22; Job 34:14,

15; Eccl. 12:7.

The Bible emphasizes that our heartbeat and our thinking,

our love and our courage, are gifts of God. He is the owner

of our spirit that moves us and makes us the living creatures

we are. But there is one other aspect of

ruach

that needs spe-

cial attention. It is through this spirit that God communicates

with us and empowers us to live up to our calling as the image

of God. This is clearly demonstrated in Ezekiel 36:26-28, RSV.

"A new heart

will give you, and a new spirit

will put within

you; .. . and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful

to observe my ordinances. You shall dwell in the land which

I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will

be your God." See also Ezek. 37:14; Ps. 51:12, 13. It is this

spirit of a man that gives him understanding (Job 32:8), and

that helps him to become acquainted with God's will for him.

Prov. 1:23.

THINK IT THROUGH

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What is my "spirit"?

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FURTHER STUDY

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Testimonies,

Vol. 4, p. 36; Vol. 5, p. 404.

The Body and God's Image

LESSON 3

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❑

Thursday

April 17

Part 5

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"And the child [John the Baptist] grew, and waxed strong

STRONG IN

in spirit." Luke 1:80.

SPIRIT

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The New Testament confirms and elaborates on the teach-

ings of the Old Testament concerning man's spirit. The Greek

word

pneuma,

as it applies to man, is equivalent to the Hebrew

ruach

and means: (1) breath of life (Matt. 27:50; Luke 8:55;

Acts 7:59; James 2:26); (2) disposition, attitude, mood, seat

of emotions, seat of knowledge, et cetera, such as in Mark 2:8;

John 13:21; 1 Peter 3:4; (3) the instrument by which man com-

municates with God. Luke 1:47, 80; Acts 18:24, 25. This third

meaning is especially strongly developed in the writings of the

apostle Paul. Rom. 1:9; 8:16; 1 Cor. 14:2, 14-16. This is a meet-

ing of man's spirit and God's Spirit.

What was the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus?

Matt. 4:1; Luke 2:27; 10:21; John 1:32, 33.

What does Jesus actually mean by being born of the

Spirit? John 3:5-8. See also John 1:33.

Spirit stands for life in the fullest sense. It is only when a

man receives God's spirit, His breath of life, that he becomes

a living being. No man, however, is to live for himself, but for

the glory of God and to serve his fellowmen. The power to do

so comes from God through the Holy Spirit. Man is then a new

creation, having not only a spirit but

the

Spirit, as exemplified

in the life of Christ.

What relationship is there between man's spirit and the

Spirit of Christ? Rom. 8:1-17.

THINK IT THROUGH



it possible for me to have the mind of Christ? See

Phil. 2:5.

"To pray in Christ's name means much. It means that we

are to accept His character, manifest His spirit, and work His

works....

"If we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts

and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to

His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out

our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its

highest delight in doing His service. . . .

"Those who decide to do nothing in any line that will dis-

please God, will know, after presenting their case before Him,

just what course to pursue. And they will receive not only

wisdom, but strength. Power for obedience, for service, will

be imparted to them, as Christ has promised. Whatever was

given to Christ . . . was given to Him as the head and repre-

sentative of humanity."—The

Desire of Ages,

page 668.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pages 668-672.

The Body and God's Image

LESSON 3



111 Friday

April 18



Part 6



"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Cor.

FREEDOM

3:17, RSV.

When God created man in His own image, He made them

free human beings. Unlike the animals, who are guided by

their instinct, man could make his own choices and decisions.

Freedom is an indispensable aspect of man as the image of

God. For without freedom man cannot really choose, or love,

or respond.

In what way was Adam's freedom realized? Gen. 2:17.

"God placed man under law, as an indispensable condition

of his very existence. He was a subject of the divine govern-

ment, and there can be no government without law. God might

have created man without the power to transgress His law; He

might have withheld the hand of Adam from touching the for-

bidden fruit; but in that case man would have been, not a free

moral agent, but a mere automaton. Without freedom of choice,

his obedience would not have been voluntary, but forced.

There could have been no development of

character."—Pa-

triarchs and Prophets,

page 49.

What choice did Isaiah prophesy that Immanuel would be

prepared to make? Isa. 7:14, 15.

The decision that would confront Immanuel was the same

decision that Adam met before him. Adam was created free

from any bias toward evil, or desire to know it. The choice

Adam had to make was to affirm freely that God was his

Creator, and he God's creature. The purpose for which man

was created was to glorify God. God wanted Adam to do so

voluntarily. The presence of the tree of knowledge of good and

evil was a challenge to Adam to respond to God's love. But

it also opened the possibility not to do so. Freedom, therefore,

is not a goal in itself. Freedom is a means by which man can

fulfill his original calling and destiny: to serve God and to love

his neighbor.

In what way is our freedom today best fulfilled? Gal.

5:1, 13.

THINK IT THROUGH



How do I use my freedom daily?

"The youth have an inborn love of liberty; they desire free-

dom; and they need to understand that these inestimable bless-

ings are to be enjoyed only in obedience to the law of God.

This law is the preserver of true freedom and liberty. . . .

"The psalmist says: 'I will walk at liberty: for I seek Thy

precepts.' . . . Psalm

119:45."—Education,

page 291.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

page 466.

"In the gift of His son for our redemption, God has

shown how high a value He places upon every human

soul, and He gives to no man liberty to speak con-

temptuously of another. We shall see faults and

weaknesses in those about us, but God claims every

soul as His property—His by creation, and doubly His

as purchased by the precious blood of Christ. All were

created in His image, and even the most degraded

are to be treated with respect and tenderness. God

will hold us accountable for even a word spoken in

contempt of one soul for whom Christ laid down His

life."—"Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing," pages

56, 57.

LESSON 4

April 20-26

Tr SOUL

OFC

QM'S



"And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many

years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou

fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those

things be, which thou host provided?" Luke 12:19, 20.

For centuries the Christian view of man has been strongly influenced by the

writings of the Greek philosopher Plato. He suggested that man consists of two

parts: an immortal soul and a corrupt, mortal body. These two he saw as totally

different: the one eternal and good, the other evil, weak, and temporary. During

life on earth, claimed Plato, the soul has to reside in the body, as in a prison

from which it is liberated at death. He spoke of the body as "a source of endless

trouble" and believed that pure knowledge of anything could be had only when

the soul was released from the body.

In the Bible the body is called "a temple of the Holy Spirit." 1 Cor. 6:19, RSV.

It was created by God and does not encase a soul, but is itself the soul. Could

there be any greater contrast between the concept of the body as a prison of

the soul and the Biblical view of the body as a temple of God?

The way one views the body and the soul will determine how he looks at

death and consequently at spiritualism, at the importance of caring for the body

during life, and at the method and results of salvation by faith.

In this week's lesson we shall study the Biblical view of the soul and the

body.

LESSON OUTLINE

A Living Soul, Gen. 2:7

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4. Soul and Spirit, 1 Cor. 15:45-49

Soul and Life, Mark 10:45

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5. Flesh and Blood, Matt. 16:16, 17

Soul and Body, Matt. 10:28

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6. What Is Man? Ps. 8:4, 6, 9

The Soul and God's Image

LESSON 4



❑

Sunday

April 20

Part 1



"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground,

A LIVING SOUL and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man

became a living soul." Gen. 2:7.

The Hebrew word

nephesh

is here translated "soul." It is

a key word for understanding the Biblical view of man. But

nephesh

has no less than 42 different meanings. It means the

life

of animals as well as of men; and it means animals as well

as persons. Over against the Greek notion that man

has a

soul, the Old Testament assures us that man

a soul.

Nephesh

means the whole person, not just a part of a person, as in

Greek thought. Hence, it can even be used interchangeably

with the word "flesh,"

basar.

What other usages of the term "soul" are there in the Old

Testament? 1 Sam. 30:6; 2 Kings 4:27; Isa. 26:8.

Though

nephesh

also refers to animals and other living

organisms, it basically refers to living human beings. The soul

(nephesh)

eats and drinks; it feels sadness, anger, grief, and

desire.

Nephesh

is also the Hebrew term for the person who thinks,

who wills, and who loves. See Prov. 19:2; Song of Solomon

1:7; 1 Sam. 18:1. It is man's individuality and personality. We

also read of the soul that thirsts for God (Ps. 42:2; 63:1), yearns

for Him (Isa. 26:9) and lives to praise Him (Ps. 119:175).

Nephesh,

therefore, stands for the whole person, and in many

cases can best be translated by "I," "me," "you," "we," or

"they."

What is the meaning of Jeremiah 6:8?

Soul

(nephesh)

in the Old Testament stands for life and

living organisms, for the person as a whole as well as for his

desires and emotions, feelings and appetites, religious long-

ings as well as anger, bitterness and frustration. The soul

thinks, wills, loves, and understands. The soul being the whole

man, can also die. The word can even be used for a corpse

(body), as in Num. 19:13 and Haggai 2:13. Rather than being

the opposite of flesh, soul includes the flesh.

THINK IT THROUGH



Compare the Greek view of man with that of the Old Testa-

ment.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire

of Ages,

pages 353, 466, 641.

Note

the use of

the word "soul" on these pages.

The Soul and God's Image

LESSON 4



❑

Monday

April 21

Part 2

SOUL AND LIFE

"For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto,

but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Mark 10:45.

Compare Matt. 20:28.

The word here translated "life" is the Greek

psuche.

This

word is more often translated "soul." As it is used in the New

Testament it has the same meanings as the Hebrew word

nephesh

in the Old Testament. It stands for any living organism

(Rev. 16:3), for life itself as in Luke 12:22, 23, for the whole

person, and for personality as in Romans 13:1, the inward

man, his desires, emotions, mind, feelings, as in Mark 14:34.

But even if

psuche

refers to a particular aspect of man, it never

denotes a separable, intelligent part of man, as in Greek

philosophy.

Psuche

can often be translated by a personal pro-

noun such as "I," "myself," "you," "your life."

Study the meaning of "soul" in the parable of the rich

fool in Luke 12:16-23. Use a modern translation and compare

it with the KJV.

In the Revised Standard Version the parable is translated as

follows: "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and

he thought to himself, 'What shall I do? . . . I will do this: I

will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I

will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul

[psuche],

Soul

[psuche],

you have ample goods laid up for

many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' But God

said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul

[psuche]

is required of

you.'

"And he said to his disciples, 'Therefore I tell you do not

be anxious about your life

[psuche],

what you shall eat, nor

about your body, what you shall put on. For life

[psuche]

more than food, and the body more than clothing.' "

What is the meaning of "soul" in the following texts?

James 5:20; 1 Peter 1:9; 4:19; Rev. 6:9 and 20:4.

It can be concluded that in the Bible the word "soul" means

the whole person, either alive or dead. As we have seen, the

Hebrews used the word

nephesh,

soul, also for "corpse."

The idea that "soul" can have a separate existence apart

from the body, or that it possesses an immortal essence, is

foreign to the Bible.

THINK IT THROUGH



What is the message contained in the Biblical meaning of

man as a living soul?

FURTHER STUDY



Christ's Object Lessons,

"Gain That Is Loss," pages 256-259.

The Soul and God's Image

LESSON 4



0 Tuesday

April 22

Part 3



"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able

SOUL AND BODY

to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy

both soul and body in hell." Matt. 10:28.

In the Bible usage of "body" and "soul" each means the

whole person. One is not superior to the other. In Hebrew

thought man is soul and man is body. When a man dies, the

Bible says that the soul has died, or the man died.

However, "soul" in both the Old and New Testaments often

refers in particular to a person's relationship to God, whereas

"flesh" emphasizes man as a creature, in contrast to God, who

is the Creator and the Life-giver. It is in this meaning that

Jesus' contemporaries understood His words. Don't fear those

who can harm you in your bodily existence, rob you of your

goods, or even kill you. That means nothing. For even death

cannot separate you from God. But you ought to fear God, on

whom your whole life depends. To be separated from Him—

that is, "losing your soul"—is the worst that can happen.

Therefore, watch out that you keep your soul—that is, your

relationship with God.

Interpret 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

The apostle Paul did not teach that man is composed of

three parts—body, soul, and spirit, but he spoke of three dif-

ferent ways in which a person relates to other persons. In the

Bible man is one indivisible whole. Terms such as "soul" or

"body" or "spirit" are not used to indicate separate parts of

a man. Each term refers to the whole man in a particular func-

tion. The soul emphasizes in particular man in his relationship

to God; the spirit refers to man understanding and communi-

cating with God, while the body denotes his relationship with

human beings as well as his whole earthly existence. To indi-

cate how thoroughly the God of peace sanctifies our lives, the

apostle Paul emphasizes, in good Hebrew fashion, that sanc-

tification should affect every aspect of life: not just our rela-

tionship to God (soul), but also our whole thinking, will, and

innermost feelings, (spirit), and our work and our relationships

with our fellowmen (body). Sanctification affects our whole

person and our whole life.

What does Luke 10:27 mean?

THINK IT THROUGH



How do soul and flesh relate to each other in the person

of Jesus?

The Soul and God's Image

LESSON 4



❑

Wednesday

April 23

Part 4

SOUL AND

SPIRIT

"And so it is written, The first Adam was made a living

soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. . . . The

first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord

from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are

earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are

heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy,

we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." 1 Cor.

15:45-49.

What is the meaning of the words "soul" and "spirit"

here? How do they relate to each other?

Adam was the first man created by God, and all men are

descended from him. The record indicates that Adam was made

from the dust of the ground (earthy), which may still be re-

flected in his name (possibly related to

adamah—Hebrew

for

"earth" or "ground"), though the origin of the name is not quite

clear yet. Paul referred to Genesis 2:7 when he wrote, "And

so it is written." The central statement of the Biblical view

of man is that Adam was made a "living soul." This "soul"

had no existence in itself but depended wholly on the life-

giving Spirit of God. In 1 Cor. 15:44 the word

psuchikos

(from

the word

psuche)

is used to describe the "natural body"—that

is, man in his earthly existence. Adam contrasts with Christ,

who is called "a life-giving Spirit." The first one had no life

in himself, whereas Christ is the life. From Him all life takes

its origin. The word "soul" here refers to the individual, the

whole person, in his earthly existence. Spirit is that life-giving

power that makes man a "living soul." All men receive their

earthly existence—as body, as soul, as person—through Adam.

At the resurrection, man will receive a new existence directly

from Christ.

What is the meaning of "the image of the heavenly" in

1 Cor. 15:49? See Phil. 3:20, 21.

Read and interpret John 4:23, 24.

The Spirit is the inexhaustible power of divine life from

which

all

life takes its origin. Through that Spirit all men live

and breathe and have their existence. Acts 17:25. Contrary to

a popular use of the term "spirit," in the Scriptures a spirit

is a person; he has a form and a bodily existence.

THINK IT THROUGH



What is the meaning of Joel 2:28?

3-A0t--2-75

The Soul and God's Image

LESSON 4



❑

Thursday

April 24

Part 5

FLESH AND

BLOOD

"And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ,

the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto

him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood

hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in

heaven." Matt. 16:16, 17.

The term "flesh and blood" does not occur in the Old Testa-

ment. Yet its meaning lies anchored in the Hebrew concept of

flesh

(basar)

and not in the Greek view of flesh as being cor-

rupt, evil, and inferior to the soul or the spirit.

What is the meaning of "flesh and blood" in such New Tes-

tament passages as Matt. 16:17; Gal. 1:16; Eph. 6:12?

The Hebrew word for flesh

(basar)

means man as a creature.

He is mortal and weak. For his knowledge, his strength, and

his whole life he depends upon God, his Maker. "If he [God]

should take back his spirit to himself, and gather to himself

his breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would

return to dust." Job 34:14, 15, RSV. "All flesh is grass, and

all its beauty is like the flower of the field." Isa. 40:6, RSV.

Man has no way by himself to know about such things as the

origin of evil or that Jesus is the Son of God or what is best

in his life. It is foolishness to trust, therefore, on the judgment

of man, no matter how good he is, or to build on the strength

of mortal beings. Our only true source of knowledge is God;

it is not found in ordinary man—that is, unaided by the Spirit

of God.

What is the meaning of Leviticus 17:11?

"Seven times in the books of Moses the prohibition against

eating blood is repeated (Gen. 9:4; Lev. 3:17; 7:26, 27; 17:10;

Deut. 12:16, 23, 24; 15:23). The reason given is that blood

represents life; in fact, the blood is the life."—SDA

Bible

Commentary,

on Lev. 17:11.

The word translated "life" in some of these texts is

nephesh,

the word often translated as "soul" in the Old Testament.

Compare the prohibition to eat the "blood with the flesh"

in the Old Testament with Jesus' words in John 6:53, 54.

Jesus' words must indeed have been hard to understand, if

not outright repulsive, to the Jews of His day. And even to the

non-Jews. What is the real meaning of the Lord's Supper?

THINK IT THROUGH



How do I know that Jesus is the Son of God, if this knowl-

edge has not come to me by "flesh and blood"—that is, from

other human beings?

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pages 277, 278.

The Soul and God's Image

LESSON 4



❑

Friday

April

Part 6

WHAT IS MAN?

"What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son

of man, that thou visitest him?"

"Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of

thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet."

"0 Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the

earth!" Ps. 8:4, 6, 9.

What is man? The Bible speaks of him as the image of God.

From the study of the Person of Christ (Lesson 2) and by com-

paring scripture with scripture on the meaning of the image of

God (Lesson 1), it was found that the image of God stands for

these basic concepts:

Man as a creature.

He is totally dependent upon God. He

lives and moves and thinks and acts only because God shares

with him His life. Without God's power, man does not exist; he

can do nothing. Looking at man, therefore, reminds us of his

Maker.

Man as a social being.

His life's fulfillment lies in his

togetherness and solidarity with other people. The most inti-

mate relationship between people is the marriage relationship.

But the image of God in man is realized wherever he lives for

others. Jesus was never married. Yet in Him, whose life was

characterized by serving others, even unto death, the perfect

image of God is revealed.

Man as ruler of the earth, called to have dominion over

God's creation.

Unlike the animal world, man is a cultural be-

ing. He builds, he invents, he creates his own environment and

makes his own life-style. In these creative activities, as builder,

inventor, and maker, man resembles the Creator, in whose

image he is made.

Soul, body and spirit.

It is clear that in the Scriptures the

term "image of God" refers not only to what man

has,

but also

to what he

is;

not only to his abilities or his attributes, but also

to his actions, his character, habitual responses, and relation-

ships. In order for man to communicate with God, respond to

His love, relate to other people, and exert dominion over the

earth, God has given man instruments, talents, or tools to do

so. Our faith comes through

hearing

(Rom. 10:14), and with

our

tongues

we sing the praises of our Lord and Father (James

3:7-9). Soul, body, and spirit are such instruments. By these

man realizes and fulfills his calling and destiny as the image

of God. In the Scriptures the essence of man lies in his three-

fold relationship: (1) to God, (2) to his fellowmen, and (3) to

the created world—not in three parts of man. What really

counts is what we do with our bodies, how we use our hands,

our intellect, and our speech—in short, whether we offer our-

selves as a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for God's service,

and worship Him.

LESSON 5

April 27-May 3

SIN'S

BEGINNINGS

"Seek good, and not evil, that ye

may live: and so the Lord, the God of

hosts, shall be with you, as ye have

spoken. Hate the evil, and love the

good." Amos 5:14, 15.

What happened to the good order of

God's creation? We read that "God saw

every thing that he had made, and, be-

hold, it was very good." Gen. 1:31.

What later caused the whole world to

lie in evil?

Actually, there is no reasonable ex-

planation for it, for sin and evil are un-

reasonable in a world which God cre-

ated "very good." The Bible mentions

certain events, in heaven and on earth,

that point to the origins of evil. But the

Scriptures offer no explanation of why

evil should arise, nor how it could. We

know it is here. It affects the whole

created universe, and man in particular.

Since the Bible does not offer us an

explanation of why evil came into the

world, it seems futile to speculate on it

ourselves. All of the philosophies on the

origin of evil, from the fathers of the

early church to the religious writings of

Eastern sages to modern philosophers

are futile speculation. The Bible tells us

that "the whole world is in the power of

the evil one." 1 John 5:19, RSV. With

embarrassing honesty and clarity the

Scriptures point out where evil is, what

it is, and how it affects our relations to

our fellowmen, to the world, and to God.

The Bible shows us the effects of evil

and of sin; and, above all, it shows us

a way out of the misery, slavery, poverty,

and death it has wrought.

The Biblical message on man is a

message of liberation. It liberates us

from fear and frustration, from evil, and

from death. It gives us freedom of choice

and of fellowship; it makes us free to

love, to think, and to act, according to

God's own will and to the very high

calling that is our intended nature as

the image of God.

LESSON OUTLINE

L A War in Heaven, Rev. 12:7-9

The Sin of Pride, Isa. 14:13, 14;

Ezek. 28:16, 17

Sin and Grace, Ezek. 33:11

Sin and Justice, Deut. 32:4

Woe to the Earth, Rev. 12:12

Christ and Satan, 1 John 3:8

Sin's Beginnings

LESSON 5



❑

Sunday

April 27

Part 1

A WAR IN

HEAVEN

Read Revelation 12:7-9.

For man, born in iniquity and conceived in sin (Ps. 51:5) it

is difficult to imagine that at one time there was no evil in the

universe, no disruption of any kind, no destruction, no war, no

violence, no crime, and no sorrow. Yet the Bible says so.

What was the original state of man and the universe?

Gen. 1:31 through 2:9.

"Before the entrance of evil there was peace and joy

throughout the universe. All was in perfect harmony with the

Creator's will. Love for God was supreme, love for one another

impartial."—The

Great Controversy,

page 493.

Was Satan created by God? Since God is the Creator of

everything, it has been suggested that God is also the origina-

tor of evil. This is an absurdity. Evil is not something that was

made or created. Evil is negative. It was not created by God

or willed by Him. Sin is a wrong attitude, a rejection of good,

a distortion of the relation between a creature and his Creator.

Through the symbolism of the king of Babylon and the

prince of Tyre, what do the following references say about

Satan's identity before he rebelled against God? Isa. 14:12;

Ezek. 28:12-15.

"There was no note of discord to mar the celestial har-

monies. But a change came over this happy state. There was

one who perverted the freedom that God had granted to His

creatures. Sin originated with him who, next to Christ, had

been most honored of God and was highest in power and glory

among the inhabitants of

heaven."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

page 35.

THINK IT THROUGH



Is sin ever reasonable?

"It is impossible to explain the origin of sin so as to give a

reason for its existence. Yet enough may be understood con-

cerning both the origin and the final disposition of sin to make

fully manifest the justice and benevolence of God in His deal-

ings with evil. Nothing is more plainly taught in Scripture than

that God was in no wise responsible for the entrance of sin;

that there was no arbitrary withdrawal of divine grace, no defi-

ciency in the divine government, that gave occasion for the

uprising of rebellion. Sin is an intruder, for whose presence no

reason can be given. It is mysterious, unaccountable; to ex-

cuse it is to defend it. Could excuse for it be found, or cause

be shown for its existence, it would cease to be sin."—The

Great Controversy,

pages 492, 493.

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pages 33-35.

Sin's Beginnings

LESSON 5



❑

Monday

April

Part 2

THE SIN OF

PRIDE

What attitude was it that brought sin into the universe?

Isa. 14:13, 14; Ezek. 28:16, 17.

The Scripture says, "A man's pride will bring him low, but

he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor." Prov. 29:33, RSV.

Together with pride, the Bible mentions envy, unholy ambition,

jealousy and covetousness as sources of sin. These are all

aspects of the one negative attitude that brought ruin to the

universe.

Against which person of the Godhead in particular did

Lucifer rebel? Rev. 12:7-9.

"Coveting the honor which the infinite Father had bestowed

upon His Son, this prince of angels aspired to power which it

was the prerogative of Christ alone to wield."—The

Great Con-

troversy,

page 494.

"To dispute the supremacy of the Son of God, thus impeach-

ing the wisdom and love of the Creator, had become the pur-

pose of this prince of angels. To this object he was about to

bend the energies of that master mind, which, next to Christ's,

was first among the hosts of

God."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

page 36.

How did Lucifer's attitude affect other angels? 2 Peter

2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 12:4, 7, 8.

"Leaving his place in the immediate presence of the Father,

Lucifer went forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among

the angels. He worked with mysterious secrecy, and for a

time concealed his real purpose under an appearance of rever-

ence for God. He began to insinuate doubts concerning the

laws that governed heavenly beings, intimating that though

laws might be necessary for the inhabitants of the worlds,

angels, being more exalted, needed no such restraint, for their

own wisdom was a sufficient guide. .

"The spirit of dissatisfaction thus kindled was doing its

baleful

work."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

pages 37, 38.

THINK IT THROUGH



Has pride also led me astray? How can I identify and

overcome it?

"Pride in his own glory nourished the desire for supremacy.

The high honors conferred upon Lucifer were not appreciated

as the gift of God and called forth no gratitude to the Creator.

He gloried in his brightness and exaltation, and aspired to be

equal with God."—The

Great Controversy,

page 495.

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pages 36-39.

Sin's Beginnings

LESSON 5



Tuesday

April

Part 3



From God's attitude toward sinful men, what can we con-

SIN AND GRACE

clude was His attitude toward fallen Lucifer?

"Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no

pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn

from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways;

for why will ye die?" Ezek. 33:11.

"In great mercy, according to His divine character, God

bore long with Lucifer....

"A compassionate Creator, in yearning pity for Lucifer and

his followers, was seeking to draw them back from the abyss

of ruin into which they were about to plunge. But His mercy

was misinterpreted. Lucifer pointed to the long-suffering of God

as an evidence of his own superiority. . . . Thus it was that

Lucifer, 'the light bearer,' the sharer of God's glory, the at-

tendant of His throne, by transgression became Satan, 'the

adversary' of God and holy beings and the destroyer of those

whom Heaven had committed to his guidance and guardian-

ship."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

pages 39, 40.

Can God's grace be rejected? Isa. 30:12, 13; Luke 10:16;

Heb. 12:25.

God's grace can be resisted. It need not be effective. God

seeks to bring men into a relation of love and obedience with

Himself. Both of these presuppose the freedom to accept or

to reject God's love and authority.

What happened to Satan when he continued to reject the

grace of God? Isa. 14:12; Ezek. 28:16, 17; Luke 10:18.

"God could employ only such means as were consistent with

truth and righteousness. Satan could use what God could not

—flattery and deceit. He had sought to falsify the word of God

and had misrepresented His plan of government, claiming that

God was not just in imposing laws upon the angels; that in

requiring submission and obedience from His creatures, He

was seeking merely the exaltation of Himself. It was therefore

necessary to demonstrate before the inhabitants of heaven, and

of all the worlds, that God's government is just, His law per-

fect."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

page 42.

THINK IT THROUGH



Do I stand in danger of rejecting the grace of God?

"We

urge this appeal upon you: you have received the grace

of God; do not let it go for nothing. God's own words are:

'In the hour of my favour I gave heed to you;

on the day of deliverance I came to your aid.'

The hour of favour has now come; now, I say, has the day

of deliverance dawned." 2 Cor. 6:1, 2, NEB.

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pages 40-43.

Sin's Beginnings

LESSON 5



❑

Wednesday

April 30



Part 4



Why did God not destroy Satan, thereby preventing him from

SIN AND

bringing ruin to the whole world? From

Patriarchs and Prophets,

JUSTICE

pages 41-43, four reasons may be gleaned:

If God had destroyed the devil immediately, millions of

angels—and inhabitants of other worlds in the universe—would

never have known for sure whether or not the charges Satan

advanced against God had an element of truth in them. The

destruction of Satan might even have left the impression that

some of the charges—especially that God's law was unjust—

were true. It became necessary, therefore, for God to demon-

strate before the inhabitants of heaven and of all the worlds

that His government is just, His law perfect, and the principles

of love and obedience correct.

Satan blamed God for the discord that he himself had

caused in heaven. All evil he declared to be the result of the

divine administration. He claimed that it was his own object to

improve upon the statutes of Jehovah. Therefore, God permit-

ted him to demonstrate the nature of his claims an6

show

;13

the working out of his proposed changes in the divine law. His

own work must condemn him. Satan had to be unmasked so

that the whole universe could see that he was a deceiver, a

rebel, a liar, and a murderer.

If God had destroyed Satan immediately, many creatures,

not quite convinced of the justice of God, would have served

God from fear rather than from love. They would have honored

Him and obeyed Him, but not voluntarily so, not in freedom. The

influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed,

and the spirit of rebellion would have remained.

Satan's rebellion was to be a perpetual lesson to the

universe of the nature and results of sin. The working out of

Satan's rule, its effects upon both men and angels, would

show what must be the fruit of setting aside divine authority.

It would testify that with the existence of God's government and

His law is bound up the well-being of all the creatures He has

made. Only in this way could God's love, righteousness, and

authority be vindicated before all His creatures, who would

delight in doing His will. Rebellion and sin would not arise a

second time. See Nahum

1:9.

THINK IT THROUGH



Am I convinced of God's love and righteousness? How

does this understanding affect my life?



FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pages 496-504.

Sin's Beginnings

LESSON 5



❑

Thursday

May

Part 5

WOE TO THE

EARTH

Where did Satan work havoc and ruin after he was ex-

pelled from heaven?

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.

Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the

devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because

he knoweth that he hath but a short time." Rev. 12:12.

Peter compares Satan to a "roaring lion" searching for food.

1 Peter 5:8. Vivid pictures of his work are found in Mark 5:2-13

and in Mark 9:17-27. He catches men in snares (2 Tim. 2:26),

puts evil thoughts in them (John 13:2; Acts 5:3) and blinds

and misguides them (2 Cor. 2:11; 4:4; 11:14).

Who assist the devil in his work on earth? Matt. 25:40, 41;

Acts 8:7; Rev. 16:14.

"Evil spirits, in the beginning created sinless, were equal

in nature, power, and glory with the holy beings that are now

God's messengers. But fallen through sin, they are leagued

together for the dishonor of God and the destruction of men.

United with Satan in his rebellion, and with him cast out from

heaven, they have, through all succeeding ages, co-operated

with him in his warfare against the divine authority."—The

Great Controversy,

page 513.

THINK IT THROUGH



Are these evil spirits real and still active today? Do I

recognize their work?

To many people, including many believers, the idea that

there are evil spirits at work today seems childish and un-

scientific. But does that prove their nonexistence? The Bible

consistently makes reference to them and with great force

warns us of them. The revival of spirit cults, Satanism, and

spiritism are strong evidences that there are realities for which

science has no answer. Trust in the Word of God is the safer

path.

Please consider this: "None are in greater danger from the

influence of evil spirits than those who . . . deny the existence

and agency of the devil and his angels. So long as we are

ignorant of their wiles, they have almost inconceivable ad-

vantage; many give heed to their suggestions while they sup-

pose themselves to be following the dictates of their own wis-

dom. This is why, as we approach the close of time, when

Satan is to work with greatest power to deceive and destroy,

he spreads everywhere the belief that he does not exist. It is

his policy to conceal himself and his manner of working."—

The Great Controversy,

page 516.

FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pages 511-517.

Sin's Beginnings

LESSON 5



❑

Friday

May

Part 6

CHRIST AND

SATAN

"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil

sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God

was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the

devil." 1 John 3:8.

Jesus has been spoken of as "our example," a model of

what God intended all of us to be. But that concept, though

clearly Biblical, could also be misunderstood and misinter-

preted if we did not look carefully at the other roles of Jesus,

such as Divine Sacrifice, as the Substitute who died for our

sins, and as the Mighty God who has gained the victory over

the devil and his host.

What has been, and will be, the result to Satan of his

defeat by Jesus? John 12:31; Rev. 20:10. See also Gen. 3:15.

Some religions conceive of good and evil as two equal

powers. The Christian faith teaches that the devil has no power

of himself. God created him, and he has been under the control

of God from the beginning. The Christian faith and its mission

is based on the triumph of Christ over Satan. In this triumph

man may participate. It is this message that gives man hope

and courage, certainty and strength.

How was Christ's power over Satan manifested during His

earthly ministry? Matt. 8:16; Mark 1:34; Luke 11:15-20.

What assurance of triumph over the devil is given to every

child of God? Matt. 28:18-20; Eph. 6:11; 1 John 5:18.

"Be submissive then to God. Stand up to the devil and he

will turn and run." James 4:7, NEB. A beautiful image of Christ's

victorious work for His children in resisting and triumphing over

the devil is found also in Zechariah 3:1, 2, RSV: "Then he

showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel

of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse

him. And the Lord said to Satan, 'The Lord rebuke you, 0

Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is

not this a brand plucked from the fire?' "



THINK IT THROUGH



What effect on me

and on my

life has the victory of Christ

over Satan?

"Satan is well aware that the weakest soul who abides in

Christ is more than a match for the hosts of darkness, and

that, should he reveal himself openly, he would be met and

resisted."—The

Great Controversy,

page 530.



FURTHER STUDY



The

Great Controversy,

pages 518-530.

"More clearly than we do we need to understand

the issues at stake in the great conflict in which we

are engaged. We need to understand more fully the

value of the truths of the word of God and the danger

of allowing our minds to be diverted from them by the

great deceiver.

"The infinite value of the sacrifice required for our

redemption reveals the fact that sin is a tremendous

evil. Through sin the whole human organism is de-

ranged, the mind is perverted, the imagination cor-

rupted. Sin has degraded the faculties of the soul.

Temptations from without find an answering chord

within the heart, and the feet turn imperceptibly toward

evil.

"As the sacrifice in our behalf was complete, so our

restoration from the defilement of sin is to be corn-

plete."—The

Ministry of Healing,

page 451.

LESSON 6

May 4-10

"Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever commit-

teth sin is the servant of sin." John 8:34.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23.

Sin is tyrannical. It works destructively, and it spares no one. The whole

world and all of life experience its evil effects. It is a power that permeates our

thinking and our actions; it affects our relationships and our inmost feelings.

The results of sin abound everywhere. We are touching here on the cause of

crime and corruption, of aggression and anxiety, of fear and frustration, of sen-

suality and selfishness. Philosophies abound that seek the cause of this dis-

ruptive and destructive power in material things, such as property or wealth.

Some blame man's faulty thinking and lack of education, while others hold

law and regulations responsible for the havoc and ruin caused by this power.

All kinds of solutions have been suggested and tried to make an end to this

tyrannical power: giving wealth and power to the people; rigid mental training;

education; scientific and cultural discipline; transcendental meditation, et cetera.

But all the attempts have ended in the desperate cry, "0 wretched man that

I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" See Rom. 7:14-25.

The weaknesses of man in spite of his power and greatness, his irrational

•

behavior in spite of his education, his irresponsible conduct in spite of his high

calling, have boggled all thinking people everywhere. In the most pressing form

these questions defy logical answers: What is man? What makes him act and

think and behave the way he does? Science has no answer to these questions

and neither has philosophy. Even the religious and ethical systems of man offer

us no clue. It is in God's revelation only that man finds this knowledge about

himself. There, and there alone, do we find answers to the baffling paradox of

man's greatness and misery, of man's power and powerlessness. The two key

ideas here are: man, the image of God; and man, the sinner.

LESSON OUTLINE

Disobedience, Rom. 5:12-14

Unbelief, Gen. 3:1

To Be Equal With God, Gen. 3:4-6

Selfishness, 2 Thess. 2:3, 4

All Have Sinned, Rom. 5:12

Griefs and Sorrows, 2 Cor. 5:21

Man, the Sinner

LESSON 6



❑

Sunday

May 4

Part 1

DISOBEDIENCE

"It was through one man that sin entered the world, and

through sin death, and thus death pervaded the whole human

race, inasmuch as all men have sinned. For sin was already

in the world before there was law, though in the absence of

law no reckoning is kept 'of sin. But death held sway from

Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned as

Adam did, by disobeying a direct command." Rom. 5:12-14,

NEB.

What "direct command" had God given to Adam, and

why? Gen. 2:16, 17.

Sin is lack of conformity to the will (law) of God, either as

an attitude, a state of mind, or an act. It is disobedience to

God's law. Why would man become disobedient? He was made

in the image of God. He was God's representative with full

power to rule the earth. Man knew that by disobeying God he

would lose it all, for God had made that abundantly clear to

him.

What prompted Adam to disobey God? Gen. 3:1-6.

Although Satan was the instigator and will bear his part in

the sin he caused Adam to commit, the man himself was re-

sponsible for his disobedience. He was absolutely free to

choose to obey or to disobey God.

What is the meaning of disobeying God's law? Rom. 2:23.

"The law of God is as sacred as God Himself. It is a revela-

tion of His will, a transcript of His character, the expression

of divine love and wisdom. The harmony of creation depends

upon the perfect conformity of all beings, of everything, ani-

mate and inanimate, to the law of the Creator. God has or-

dained laws for the government, not only of living beings, but

of all the operations of nature. Everything is under fixed laws,

which cannot be disregarded. But while everything in nature

is governed by natural laws, man alone, of all that inhabits the

earth, is amenable to moral law. To man, the crowning work

of creation, God has given power to understand His require-

ments, to comprehend the justice and beneficence of His law,

and its sacred claims upon him; and of man unswerving obe-

dience is required."—Patriarchs

and Prophets,

page 52.

THINK IT THROUGH



What aspects of God's character were particularly re-

vealed in God's command not to eat from the tree of knowl-

edge of good and evil?

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pages 52, 53.

Man, the Sinner

LESSON 6



Monday

May 5

Part 2

UNBELIEF

"And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye

shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Gen. 3:1.

Disobedience began when our first parents no longer fully

trusted in the word of God. And sin arises everywhere, and

always, out of unbelief. It is the root of sin. See John 16:9.

What does the apostle Paul state is the relationship be-

tween sin and unbelief? Rom. 14:23.

The story of Adam's falling into sin is a repetition of the

beginnings of evil in heaven. Unbelief, then defiance of God's

word, and then attitudes of pride and jealousy, envy and selfish-

ness.

What is the means of salvation from sin? John 3:14-16;

Acts 16:31.

The relationship between unbelief and misery appears on

almost every page of the Scripture. Adam and Eve lost their

exalted status because of it. The people of God could not enter

the Promised Land because of their unbelief. Heb. 3:19. It is

when man gives up his full trust in God and in His word that

wars, aggression, crime, and corruption arise. On the other

hand, man's greatness, happiness, and salvation are restored

when he trusts God and believes His word. Let our prayer

therefore be, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." Mark

9:24. Yes, Lord, increase our faith.



THINK IT THROUGH



What is the basis of our trust in God?

"Eve . . . disbelieved the words of God, and this was what

led to her fall. In the judgment men will not be condemned

because they conscientiously believed a lie, but because they

did not believe the truth, because they neglected the oppor-

tunity of learning what is truth. Notwithstanding the sophistry

of Satan to the contrary, it is always disastrous to disobey

God."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

page 55.

"It was distrust of God's goodness, disbelief of His word,

and rejection of His authority, that made our first parents trans-

gressors, and that brought into the world a knowledge of evil.

It was this that opened the door to every species of falsehood

and error.

"Man lost all because he chose to listen to the deceiver

rather than to Him who is Truth, who alone has understand-

ing."—Education,

page 25.



FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pages 54-56.

Man, the Sinner

LESSON 6



❑

Tuesday

May 6

"The serpent said to the woman, 'You will not die. For God

knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and

you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' So when the

woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was

a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desired to make

one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also

gave some to her husband, and he ate." Gen. 3:4-6, RSV.

The very essence of the nature of sin is the desire to be

independent from God. But man has no life in himself, yet the

"pot" revolted against his "potter" and wanted to be like Him

and independent of Him. He did not realize that he would thus

lose the very ground of his existence, even though God had

told him so. See Genesis 2:17.

The whole story of Adam's sin looks so foolish, so unrea-

sonable. And that is precisely what sin is. There is no reason

for it. The Bible speaks of "the mystery of lawlessness." See

2 Thess. 2:7, RSV. By dishonoring God, man lost his own self.

By wanting to be like God, man became nothing.

What terms does the Bible use to describe sin? 1 Sam.

12:14; Isa. 1:4; Jer. 11:8-10; Mal. 1:6.

What, in essence, is sin? Sin is a denial of God. It is exalt-

ing oneself above God (see Isa. 14:12-14), with the inevitable

result of a deep, deep fall. This is what the church, throughout

the ages, has meant by "the Fall," a term disliked by many

modern Christians, but a reality that is continuously experienced

by all men.

No matter what name one may give it—iniquity, rebellion,

transgression, or lawlessness—sin is, in essence, a failure to

recognize God as our Maker, that we live and exist only in

Him. It is a selfish attitude, since we do not glorify God, but

ourselves. It begins when we fail to take God at His word

(unbelief) and it leads to pride and covetousness, which are

the roots of all evil.

THINK IT THROUGH



How can I overcome the temptations I have to sin?

"In what consisted the strength of the assault made upon

Adam, which caused his fall? It was no indwelling sin; for God

made Adam after His own character, pure and upright. There

were no corrupt principles in the first Adam, no corrupt pro-

pensities or tendencies to evil. Adam was as faultless as the

angels before God's throne. These things are unexplainable,

but many things which now we cannot understand will be made

plain when we shall see as we are seen, and know as we are

known."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

Vol. 1, p. 1083.

Part 3

TO BE EQUAL

WITH GOD

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

page 154;

Testimonies,

Vol. 4, pp. 384, 385.

Man, the Sinner

LESSON 6



❑

Wednesday

May 7

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall

not come, except there come a falling away first, and that

man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth

and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is

worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,

shewing himself that he is God." 2 Thess. 2:3, 4.

The leader of apostasy, the "man of sin," described by Paul,

is the embodiment of the principles that are at the root of sin

in every human being. He exalts himself above God; he acts

as if he were God. Disobedience, unbelief, and the unholy am-

bition to be equal with God find their center in

selfishness.

Sin

is a rejection of God, His love and His law; it is essentially a

preference of self over and against God. Instead of making

God the center of his life, the sinner makes himself the center;

instead of giving glory to God and worshipping Him, the sinner

glories in himself and seeks his own interests.

Compare the sin of Lucifer with that of Adam and Eve.

Whom had they made the center of their life and ambition?

Isa. 14:13, 14; Gen. 3:1-7.

"Adam understood that his companion had transgressed the

command of God, disregarded the only prohibition laid upon

them as a test of their fidelity and love. There was a terrible

struggle in his mind. He mourned that he had permitted Eve to

wander from his side. But now the deed was done; he must be

separated from her whose society had been his joy. How could

he have it thus? . . . Love, gratitude, loyalty to the Creator—

s!l were overborne by love to Eve. She was a part of himself,

and he could not endure the thought of separation. . . . He

resolved to share her fate; if she must die, he would die with

her. After all, he reasoned, might not the words of the wise

serpent be true? . . . He seized the fruit and quickly ate."—

Patriarchs and Prophets,

pages 56, 57.

THINK IT THROUGH



Who comes really first in my life? See "Gospel Workers,"

page 114.

"Is there someone among you who is wise and understand-

ing? He is to prove it by his good life, by his good deeds per-

formed with humility and wisdom. But if in your heart you are

jealous, bitter, and selfish, then you must not be proud and

tell lies against the truth. This kind of wisdom does not come

down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and

demonic. Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also

disorder and every kind of evil." "As the scripture says, 'God

resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' So then, sub-

mit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from

you. Come near to God, and he will come near to you." James

3:13-16; 4:6-8, TEV.

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pages 57-62.

Part 4

SELFISHNESS

Man, the Sinner

LESSON 6



Thursday

May

Part 5

ALL HAVE

SINNED

How widespread is sin in the world?

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,

and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that

all have sinned." Rom. 5:12.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

Rom. 3:23.

Sin is, in the words of the apostle John, transgression of

the law;

i.e.,

the revealed will of God. "Where no law is, there

is no transgression." Rom. 4:15. Also Jesus Himself declared,

"If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have

sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin." John 15:22,

RSV. All this raises the question:

Have people sinned even where the revealed will of God

is not known? Rom. 2:11-15.

"The Gentiles will not be judged by a law that they do not

possess. Nevertheless, if they transgress the unwritten law of

conscience they will be lost just as those who have sinned

against greater light. Paul has already explained that the sins

of the Gentiles are inexcusable, for they have rejected God's

revelation to them in nature and conscience (ch. 1:19, 20, 32).

The lack of greater light does not give one the right to sin

against lesser light. The heathen who sin will be lost, even

though they do not have God's written law. They have sinned

against the law they do possess, and punishment follows as

the inevitable consequence."—SDA

Bible Commentary,

Rom. 2:12.

How does a person, therefore, become aware that he or

she is a sinner? Isa. 6:5; Luke 5:8.

"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbear-

ance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God

leadeth thee to repentance?" Rom. 2:4.

THINK IT THROUGH



Is it necessary for men to continue to sin?

"Christ came to the earth, taking humanity and standing as

man's representative, to show in the controversy with Satan

that man, as God created him, connected with the Father and

the Son, could obey every divine requirement."—Ellen G. White

Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

Vol. 7,

926.

FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"The Sinner's Need of Christ," pages 17-22.

Man, the Sinner

LESSON 6



Friday

May



Part 6



"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no

GRIEFS AND

sin." 2 Cor. 5:21.



SORROWS



See also Ps. 14:1-3.

In the denial that God exists, or in the declaration that He

is dead, the brokenness in the relationship between man and

God is the most ,evident. Whereas man in other religions still

recognizes the existence of some power greater than himself,

the atheist and the secular man deny the very existence of such

a power. Adam and Eve were ashamed to meet God; modern

man cannot even recognize the reality of God.

What terms does Paul use to describe the condition of the

man whose relationship with God is severed? Rom. 8:6, 7;

Eph. 4:18; 2:11, 12.

Man has become so estranged from God that though he may

be rich in material goods, rich in knowledge, and rich in many

other ways, yet he doesn't know how poor, naked, and blind

he is. The Bible describes this condition of utter brokenness

in the relationship between man and God as

foolishness.

Man,

the image of God, has become a fool. See Rom. 1:18-22; 1 Cor.

3:19.



THINK IT THROUGH



Since man is blind to his own true condition, how can he

become aware of it? Since he is foolish, how can he become

wise?

"The most difficult and humiliating lesson that man has to

learn is his own inefficiency in depending upon human wisdom.

... Sin has obscured his vision... .

"In its human wisdom the world cannot know God. Its wise

men gather an imperfect knowledge of God from His created

works, and then in their foolishness they exalt nature and the

laws of nature above nature's God. .

"It is impossible to gain a perfect knowledge of God from

nature alone; for nature itself is imperfect.... But Christ came

as a personal Saviour to the world. He represented a personal

God."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

Vol. 6, p. 1068.

"When sinners are compelled to look upon Him who clothed

His divinity with humanity, . . . the scales fall from their eyes,

and they see that which before they would not see."—Ellen G.

White Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

Vol. 6, p. 1069.



FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"Consecration," page 43.

Man and God

LESSON 7



❑

Thursday

May15

Part 5



"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power

THE SABBATH

thereof: from such turn away." 2 Tim. 3:5.

The most serious manifestation of the broken relationship

with God is seen in those believers who have a form of godli-

ness, but who deny the power thereof; in those who claim to

serve God, but who in fact have substituted a system of their

own making for the true religion.

In what ways has the true worship of God been counter-

feited? Dan. 7:25. See also Revelation 13.

"It

is Satan's

constant effort to misrepresent the character

of God, the nature of sin, and the real issues at stake in the

great controversy."—The

Great Controversy,

page 569.

"From the very beginning of the great controversy in heaven

it has been Satan's purpose to overthrow the law of God. . . .

To deceive men, and thus lead them to transgress God's law,

is the object which he has steadfastly pursued... .

"In seeking to cast contempt upon the divine statutes, Satan

has perverted the doctrines of the Bible, and errors have thus

become incorporated into the faith of thousands who profess

to believe the Scriptures."—The

Great Controversy,

page 582.

Satan has in particular sought to destroy the Sabbath

commandment. Why? The Sabbath is God's seal on His own

image. Break it, and the image of God is broken. Throughout

the history of God's people there has always been a close rela-

tionship between Sabbath-breaking and the breaking of the

relationship between man and God. And, vice versa, God's work

of restoring the image of God in man goes hand in hand with

the restoration of the Sabbath as the day of the Lord.

THINK IT THROUGH



my Sabbath-keeping a help in restoring the image of

God in me?

"The great message, combining the first, second, and third

angels' messages, is to be given to the world. This is to be the

burden of our work. Those who truly believe in Christ will

openly conform to the law of Jehovah. The Sabbath is the sign

between God and His people; and we are to make visible our

conformity to the law of God by observing the Sabbath. It is

to be the mark of distinction between God's chosen people and

the world."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible Commen-

tary,

Vol. 7, p. 949.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

Vol. 2, pp. 582-585.

Man and God

LESSON 7



❑

Friday

May 16

Part 6

RESHAPING MAN

"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my

mother conceive me." Ps. 51:5.

"The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray

as soon as they be born, speaking lies." Ps. 58:3.

One way in which the broken relationship between Adam

and God becomes ours is by social inheritance. Our whole

environment, culture, and society, from our earliest childhood

on, predisposes us toward unbelief, selfishness, pride, inordi-

nate desire, unholy ambitions, disobedience. It is because our

whole world is in rebellion against God that each individual

born in that world is shaped by its unbelief and revolt. "Who

can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one." Job 14:4.

The whole human race lies under the curse of sin; it is polluted,

and it passes its pollution on to each newborn child. "Because

of sin his [Adam's] posterity was born with inherent propen-

sities of disobedience."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible

Commentary,

Vol. 5, p. 1128. .

How does the Bible describe the sinful condition of the

human race? Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:10-18; Eph. 2:1-3.

"The fall did not create in man new faculties, energies, and

passions; for this would have been a reflection upon God. It

was through disobedience to God's requirements that these

powers were perverted; the affections were misplaced, and

turned from the high and holy purpose to a lower aim and to

meet a lower standard. . . . Originally man's affections were

in perfect obedience to God's will; but they have been per-

verted, misused, and degenerated by disobedience."—Ellen

G. White,

Review and Herald,

March 1, 1887.

What has been God's attitude toward fallen man? Gen.

3:9; John 3:16, 17.

" 'God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten

Son.' He gave him not only to live among men, to bear their

sins, and die their sacrifice. He gave Him to the fallen race.

. . . And all this that man might be uplifted from the ruin and

degradation of sin that he might reflect the love of God, and

share the joy of holiness."—Steps

to Christ,

page 14.

THINK IT THROUGH



Meditate on the love of God for fallen man.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

Vol. 8, pp. 208-210.

LESSON 8

May 18-24

Man and his fellowman

"And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were

naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons."

Gen. 3:7.

The immediate result of man's changed relationship to God was that man's

relationship to his fellowmen also became distorted, because man's relationship

to his fellowmen rests on his relationship to God. If the latter becomes dis-

torted, man's relationship with other people becomes distorted too. Love to the

neighbor is not an addition to man's love to God; it is part of it. "Thou shalt

love thy neighbour as thyself." Lev. 19:18; Matt. 22:39. The restoration of the

image of God in man, therefore, consists of both a restoration of an individual's

relationship with God and the restoration of man's relationship with his fellow-

men.

The distorted relationship with God immediately caused a break in the unity

between Adam and Eve. They felt shame for each other, a clear evidence of the

estrangement of the man from his wife. And when God held the man accountable

for his disobedience, Adam responded irresponsibly, "The woman whom thou

gayest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." Gen. 3:12, RSV.

The union between husband and wife was broken. See Gen. 2:23-25.

Already in Adam's son, Cain, the brokenness of the relationship between man

and fellowman, brothers at that, shows itself in its most revolting forms: envy,

jealousy, aggression, violence, murder. And when God called Cain and asked

him where his brother was, Cain answered, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Gen.

4:9. This response betrays the utterly irresponsible attitude of the sinner, who,

because of his lack of love for God, is therefore indifferent toward his own fel-

lowman and brother. It is only because of God's mercy that not every person

is at the throat of every other. In His grace God has restrained men, from the

moment that He promised Cain His care and protection (Gen. 4:13-15), until this

very moment. He tells the four angels stationed at the four corners of the earth

to hold back the four winds. Rev. 7:1-3. But woe unto man when God permits

the angels to "cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion." Then

"all the elements of strife will be let loose. The whole world will be involved in

ruin more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalem of old."—The

Great

Controversy,

page 614.

Without the mercy of God's restraining power all men would soon be in the

hands of the prince of this world. Praise God that He has not withdrawn His

Spirit from this earth yet so that even sinful men, through love and affection,

still know how to give good gifts to their children (Matt. 7:11) and show kindness

to their fellowmen. As a result of God's Spirit in man the image of God, re-

flected in man's relationship with his fellowmen, was not totally obliterated but

was greatly distorted.

LESSON OUTLINE

The Marriage Union, Eph. 5:31-33

Antidote for Loneliness, Gen. 2:18

Bridging the Generation Gap, Eph. 6:1, 4

Who Is My Neighbor? Luke 10:27, 28

The Rich and the Poor, Luke 1:53

The Enemy, Matt. 5:43, 44

Man and His Fellowman

LESSON 8



❑

Sunday

May 18

Part 1

THE MARRIAGE

UNION

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother,

and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one

flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ

and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particu-

lar so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that

she reverence her husband." Eph. 5:31-33.

The union between husband and wife, expressed in the

words "one flesh," is a reflection of the union between man

and his Creator. When man fell into sin, it immediately strained

the relationship between the man and his wife, for Adam sought

to justify himself by placing blame on Eve. The relationship

between God and man and that between husband and wife are

closely linked together, and the Bible compares the harmonious

relationship between man and God with a marriage (Isa. 54:5;

62:4, 5; Eph. 5:23, 27) and the broken relationship with adul-

tery.

What act is an indication of a broken relationship between

husband and wife? Matt. 5:32; Ex. 20:14.

Marriage is a socially approved (legal) sexual and economic

union of a man and a woman which includes rights and obli-

gations between spouses and between spouses and their (fu-

ture) children. Jesus insists that it has been God's plan from

the beginning that such a union be permanent. Matt. 19:8, 9;

5:31, 32.

Does the New Testament ever permit divorce? Matt. 5:31,

32; 19:3-9; 1 Cor. 7:10-12.

Jesus declared that the provision for divorce made in the

law of Moses was introduced because of the hardness of the

people's hearts, a reference to man's estrangement from God.

The law of Deuteronomy 24:1-4 was never intended to be an

ideal rule, and Jesus rejected it. From the beginning marriage

was intended to be a permanent union, because it is an image,

a reflection, of the union between man and God. "For I hate

divorce, says the Lord, the God of Israel." Mal. 2:16, RSV.

"Men and women, at the beginning of married life, should

reconsecrate themselves to God.

"Be as true as steel to your marriage vows, refusing, in

thought, word, or deed, to spoil your record as a man who

fears God and obeys His commandments."—The

Adventist

Home,

pages 103, 104.

THINK IT THROUGH



Why will there be no marriage in the new earth? See

Matt. 22:30.

FURTHER STUDY



The Adventist Home,

pages 105, 106, 340, 341.

Man and His Fellowman

LESSON 8



❑

Monday

May /9

Part 2

ANTIDOTE

FOR LONELINESS

"It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make

him an help meet for him." Gen. 2:18.

Marriage is essential to human life and existence. Not only

has the continuation of the human species been dependent on

it (see Gen. 1:28), but children can grow up into normal social

and cultural beings only if they are nurtured and trained in the

setting of marriage and the family.

To what does Paul compare marriage? Eph. 5:22-33.

As the rituals of the earthly sanctuary were a shadow, a

copy of the heavenly, so the marriage relationship is a shadow

of the relationship between God and man. The full ideal is

seen in God's love for His church and is to be reflected in the

brotherhood of its members.

But marriage is not an absolute, for it is not the only form

in which man can fulfill his high calling in the image of God.

Jesus did not marry. He was, indeed, the image of God in

reality. Not only did He live in perfect union with God; in Him

also was man's partnership with his fellowmen completely

realized. He lived for others.

How is the Christian to relate to his fellowman? John

13:34, 35; 1 John 2:6-11; 4:11-21.

"The kind of religion which is without stain or fault in the

sight of God our Father is this: to go to the help of orphans

and widows in their distress and keep oneself untarnished by

the world." James 1:27, NEB. Loneliness is a sign of the im-

pairment of the image of God in man. We are made for each

other; anything that detracts from fulfilling our calling to help

each other, care for each other, live for each other, is con-

tinuing the impairment of the image of God.

THINK IT THROUGH



What lonely people can I help?

"The pure religion of Jesus is the fountain from which flow

streams of charity, love, self-sacrifice.

"A Christian is a Christlike man, a Christlike woman, who

is active in God's service, who is present at the social meeting,

whose presence will encourage others also."—Ellen G. White

Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

Vol. 7, p. 935.

FURTHER STUDY



The Adventist Home,

pages 167-171.

Man and His Fellowman

LESSON 8



ID Tuesday

May 20

Part 3

BRIDGING THE

GENERATION GAP

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is

right." "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:

but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the

Lord." Eph. 6:1, 4.

The disobedience shown by man toward God is reflected in

the disobedience of human beings toward the truth (Rom. 2:8),

the gospel (1 Peter 4:17), and the law and authorities. Through

their upbringing in an "environment of disobedience," family,

culture, society, et cetera, children show the same tendencies

as their ancestors. Disobedience in children is a trait that is

passed on from the sinful generations of the past.

In what way can disobedience be overcome? Col. 3:15-21;

Prov. 22:6.

"Parents have a great work to do in the matter of correcting

and training their children, and in bringing them to God and

claiming His blessing upon

them."—Counsels to Teachers,

page 118.

"God's method of government is an example of how children

are to be trained. There is no oppression in the Lord's service,

and there is to be no oppression in the home or in the school.

Yet neither parents nor teachers should allow disregard of

their word to pass unnoticed. Should they neglect to correct

the children for doing wrong, God will hold them accountable

for their neglect. But let them be sparing of censure. Let kind-

ness be the law of the home and of the

school."—Counsels

to Teachers,

page 155.

What example did Jesus leave us as a young child? Luke

2:51.

The parents of Jesus were poor and dependent upon their

daily toil. He was familiar with poverty, self-denial, and priva-

tion. This experience was a safeguard to Him. "Jesus was

placed where His character would be tested. It was necessary

for Him to be constantly on guard in order to preserve His

purity. He was subject to all the conflicts which we have to

meet, that He might be an example to us in childhood, youth,

and manhood."—The

Desire of Ages,

page 71.

THINK IT THROUGH



What can I do to heal the generation gap?

"Jesus is our example. There are many who dwell with in-

terest upon the period of His public ministry, while they pass

unnoticed the teaching of His early years. But it is in His home

life that lie is the pattern for all children and youth."—The

De-

sire of Ages,

page 74.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pages 72-74.

Man and His Fellowman

LESSON 8



❑

Wednesday

May 21

Part 4

WHO IS MY

NEIGHBOR?

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and

with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy

mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. . . . This do, and thou

shalt live." Luke 10:27, 28.

Why should a man love his neighbor? Because that is the

way God is. Man, made in God's image, reflects that image only

when he seeks to love his fellowman as God loves both the

man and his neighbor. There are subtle ways in which we all

fail to live up to our high calling as persons made in the image

of God, such as indifference toward our neighbor, love for some

but discrimination against others, or even exalting another per-

son as a god.

What lessons was Jesus teaching by His parable of the

Good Samaritan? Luke 10:29-37.

The word "neighbor" is not limited to "one of my own

people," be it race, nation, culture, or religion; it takes in every

individual.

are

responsible for others—brothers, sisters, country-

men, foreigners—those with whom we come into contact and

even for those whom we do not know. For man is made for

others. Neighborliness is an awareness of the fact that man

does not exist by himself or for himself.

"Unless there is practical self-sacrifice for the good of oth-

ers, in the family circle, in the neighborhood, in the church,

and wherever we may be, then whatever our profession, we are

not Christians."—The

Desire of Ages,

page 504.

How is love for God related to love for the neighbor?

Matt. 22:34-40; 25:31-46; 1 John 5:1-4.



THINK IT THROUGH



Can individualism be a sign of a broken relationship be-

tween a man and his fellowmen?

"As a people, we lose much by lack of sympathy and socia-

bility with one another. He who talks of independence and

shuts himself up to himself is not filling the position that God

designed he should. We are children of God, mutually depen-

dent upon one another for happiness. The claims of God and

of humanity are upon us.. . . It is the proper cultivation of the

social elements of our nature that brings us into sympathy with

our brethren and affords us happiness in our efforts to bless

others."—Testimonies, Vol. 4, p. 71.



FURTHER

STUDY



Christian Service,

pages 122-125.

Man and His Fellowman

LESSON 8



❑

Thursday

May 22

Part 5

THE RICH AND

THE POOR

"He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich

he hath sent empty away." Luke 1:53.

What special problem do rich people have in their relation

to God? Luke 18:18-27; Jer. 9:23, 24.

Riches tend to make a person independent from God and

to isolate him from his fellowmen. That is why the apostle Paul

instructs: "As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be

haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God

who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy." 1 Tim. 6:17,

RSV.

In what ways can riches cause a rift between people?

Luke 16:19-21; Prov. 18:23; 28:11.

It is not the riches, in money only that prevent the fellow-

ship and the brotherhood of men to become a reality. The same

counsel the Bible gives to the wealthy also applies to those

who are rich in education, in wisdom, and even in truth. Riches

in truth have given rise to an attitude of pride, arrogance, self-

reliance, and lack of concern for others, as is evident from

the history of the nation of Israel, and as the warning of Jesus

to the Laodicean church indicates. See Rev. 3:17-22.

In what ways do the conditions described in James 5:1.6

exist in our day?

What example has Christ given us to heal the break be-

tween the rich and the poor? 2 Cor. 8:9. See also Isa. 58:6-8.

"To the rich, God has given wealth that they may relieve

and comfort His suffering children; but too often they are in-

different to the wants of others. They feel themselves superior

to their poor brethren. . . . In costly dwellings and splendid

churches, the rich shut themselves away from the poor; the

means that God has given to bless the needy is spent in pam-

pering pride and selfishness. The poor are robbed daily of the

education they should have concerning the tender mercies of

God. . . . They are compelled to feel the poverty that narrows

life, and are often tempted to become envious, jealous, and

full of evil surmisings."—The

Desire of Ages,

page 639.

THINK IT THROUGH



Can the split between the rich and the poor also occur

in the church? If so, what can be done about it?

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pages 637-641.

Man and His Fellowman

LESSON 8



❑

Friday

May 23

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love

thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you,

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to

them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully

use you, and persecute you." Matt. 5:43, 44.

The reason Jesus gave (vs. 45) for believers to relate in

love to the enemy and the persecutor is that the believers will

thus be children of God, for He relates to the whole world in

impartial love.

Jesus warned the disciples in Matthew 10:34 and John 16:2

that their adherence to His principles would bring upon them

the wrath of the world. But the Christian is to relate in love

even to the persecutor and is to pray for him.

Jesus rejected, and requires His followers to reject, the

principle of reciprocity. This principle is expressed in loving

only those who love you, and greeting only your "brethren."

Matt. 5:46, 47. By contrast the love that Jesus recommends

reaches out to all people regardless of whether they love you

and treat you well or not.

How are the experiences recorded in Matthew 26:49 and

Luke 23:32-34 related to the principles of Matthew 5:43, 44?

WVIe the soldiers were doing their fearful work, Jesus

prayed for His enemies, 'Father, forgive them; for they know

not what they do.' His mind passed from His own suffering to

the sin of His persecutors, and the terrible retribution that

would be theirs. No curses were called down upon the soldiers

who were handling Him so roughly. No vengeance was invoked

upon the priests and rulers, who were gloating over the accom-

plishment of their purpose. Christ pitied them in their ignorance

and guilt. He breathed only a plea for their forgiveness."—The

Desire of Ages,

page 744.

"Every true Christian will develop in his life the character-

istics of this divine love; he will reveal a spirit of forbearance,

of beneficence, and a freedom from envy and jealousy. This

character developed in word and act will not repulse, and will

not be unapproachable, cold, and indifferent to the interests

of others. The person who cultivates the precious plant of love

will be self-denying in spirit, and will not yield self-control even

under provocation. He will not impute wrong motives and evil

intentions to others, but will feel deeply over sin when dis-

covered in any of the disciples of

Christ."—Testimonies,

Vol. 5, p. 123.

THINK IT THROUGH



What enemies have I to whom I have not related in Christ-

like love?

FURTHER STUDY



Christ's Object Lessons,

"Who Is My Neighbor?" pages

384, 385.

Part 6

THE ENEMY

"And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened

unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of

which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it:

cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat

of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it

bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return

unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou

art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Gen. 3:17-19.

As a result of man's broken relationship with God not only

was the harmony between husband and wife, between man

and his fellowman, broken, but also a whole new relationship

between man and the rest of God's creation came about. The

distortion is clearly reflected in the words of Genesis 3:17-19.

The ground, with its thorns and its thistles, became an enemy

of man. And so did the animals. Because of sin, man's rela-

tionship with nature became a struggle, and his fight to use

and control nature turned into a goal in itself, instead of a

means to serve God. The curse that came upon man as a

result of his disobedience was not that a new natural scene

came into existence, but rather that the relationship between

man and nature became thoroughly distorted. This distortion

brought about very serious damage to our whole human con-

dition. When man lost his holiness, he thereby also lost his

wholeness, the perfect harmony and oneness of soul, body,

and spirit. He became a disintegrated being, with the body

often controlling the whole person. The apostle Paul charac-

terized this distortion in man by his frequent use of the term

"carnal"; that is, the power of sin in man's life, thought,

actions, and personality. Carnal does not mean that the

body, the flesh, as such, is evil. It means that the whole man

is under the influence of sin as reflected in the fact of man's

disintegration, and in his lack of power to do the right thing

even when he wants to. Rom. 7:14-25. This is a loss of free-

dom. Not only is he no longer free to implement what he

would like to do, but unaided he has even lost his freedom

to choose the right, because of the power of wrong. The

whole history of man is a history of suppressed freedoms:

social, economic, moral, political, and religious freedom.

And though it seems that mankind has come a long way with

the abolition of slavery and the legal recognition of human

freedoms, it is not until a person's relationship with God has

been restored that there can be real freedom. It is only

where the Spirit of the Lord is that there is freedom. 2 Cor.

3:17.

LESSON OUTLINE

God of Nature, Ezek. 8:16

Abuse and Use of Power, Gen. 4:23, 24

Sin and Health, Num. 12:1-10

The Heart, Jer. 17:9, Eccl. 9:3

Freedom, John 8:34, 35

Made of Dust, 1 Cor. 15:48,49

Man and Nature

LESSON 9



,0 Sunday

May

Part 1

GOD OF NATURE

"And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's

house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, be-

tween the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty

men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and

their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun

toward the east." Ezek. 8:16.

When Judah apostatized, what were their objects of wor-

ship? 2 Kings 23:5, 11; Jer. 8:2.

Nature worship is a universal sign of the broken relationship

between man and God and his consequent changed relation-

ship with nature. Man was given dominion over nature, and

called to rule over the earth and its surroundings. Worship of

the elements of nature, from the sun and the moon to the earth,

animals, trees, and rain, shows how deeply man is fallen. From

a king he became a slave of the very powers he was called

to rule.

In what sense is man not dependent upon the powers of

nature? Ps. 107:35-43; Prov. 3:1-10.

Even after the Fall, man does not have to be dependent on

the powers of nature. God is greater than these; He is not only

the Creator, but also the sustainer of nature.

One of the results of turning away from God was that man

lost the insight that God is the Creator and the owner of the

earth and its treasures, and that God has given them into man's

hands as His stewards. At first, he merely became its slave;

his life became determined by its powers. More recently mark

has placed himself in control of the earth and all that is in it.

But his control becomes destructive when he fails to recognize

that God is the owner and that it is only as a steward that he

has full control of the earth. The new control by technology is

leading to depletion of resources and to life-threatening pollu-

tion of air, land, and water.

THINK IT THROUGH



How can modern man give recognition to the fact that

God is the owner of the earth and all that is in it?

"This world was established and is sustained by the com-

passionate love of the Creator. God is the giver of all we have.

He calls upon us to return to Him a portion of the abundance

He has bestowed upon us. Think of the care He gives the

earth, sending the rain and sunshine in their season, to cause

vegetation to flourish. He bestows His favors on the just and

on the unjust. Shall not the recipients of His blessings show

their gratitude by giving of their means to help suffering

hu-

manity?"—Testimonies,

Vol. 9, p.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

Vol. 5, pp. 736, 737.

Man and Nature

LESSON 9



0 Monday

May 26

Part 2

ABUSE AND

USE OF POWER

"I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man

to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech

seventy and sevenfold." Gen. 4:23, 24.

One of the baffling questions in our day is: Why cannot man

make a responsible use of the powers he has? His invention

of nuclear energy could be of tremendous benefit to the whole

world and solve a lot of problems. His power over nature has

given man the ability to raise crops in areas where that would

have been unthinkable before. Yet the new abundance is mis-

used, and hunger and poverty continue. The answer to the

question lies in the broken relationship between man and

God. As a result, even the good things are used to do evil.

Take the example of Tubal-cain, the son of Lamech, who in-

vented the use of iron and copper. It brought a revolutionary

change in early agriculture and was the beginning of industry.

Yet the very same elements were used by others to make more

deadly weapons of warfare.

What lessons can be learned about the abuse of power

from some experiences of Noah? Gen. 9:1-3; 20-26. Add other

examples from the Scriptures that show the misuse of man's

power over the earth.

What is the source of man's misuse of power? Luke

12:13-21.

"By the parable of the foolish rich man, Christ showed the

folly of those who make the world their all. This man had

received everything from God. ... The Lord had caused vege-

tation to flourish, and the fields to bring forth abundantly. . . .

He did not think of God, from whom all his mercies had come.

He did not realize that God had made him a steward of His

goods that he might help the needy. He had a blessed oppor-

tunity of being God's almoner, but he thought only of minister-

ing to his own comfort....

"This man's aims were no higher than those of the beasts

that perish. He lived as if there were no God, no heaven, no

future life; as if everything he possessed were his own, and

he owed nothing to God or

man."—Christ's Object Lessons,

pages 256-258.

THINK IT THROUGH



How do I use the powers God has given me?

"For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world

and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his

life? For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the

glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what

he has done." Matt. 16:26, 27, RSV.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

Vol. 6, pp. 384-386.

Man and Nature

LESSON 9



❑

Tuesday

May 27

Part 3



What frightful example illustrates how closely man's hor-

SIN AND HEALTH

rible state of disease is related to his failure to obey God

and give glory to Him? Num. 12:1-10.

"This manifestation of the Lord's displeasure was designed

to be a warning to all Israel. . . . If Miriam's envy and dis-

satisfaction had not been signally rebuked, it would have re-

sulted in great evil. Envy is one of the most satanic traits that

can exist in the human heart, and it is one of the most baleful

in its effects....

"The judgment visited upon Miriam should be a rebuke to

all who yield to jealousy, and murmur against those upon whom

God lays the burden of His

work."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

pages 385, 386.

"Satan is the originator of disease....

"There is a divinely appointed connection between sin and

disease. . . . Sin and disease bear to each other the relation-

ship of cause and effect."—Counsels

on Health,

pages 324, 325.

"All sickness is the result of transgression. Many are suffer-

ing in consequence of the transgression of their parents. . .

But it is nevertheless their duty to ascertain wherein their

parents violated the laws of their being, which has entailed

upon their offspring so miserable an inheritance; and wherein

their parents' habits were wrong, they should change their

course, and place themselves by correct habits in a better

relation to health."—Counsels

on Health,

page 37.

How may illness be affected by faith, or lack of faith, in

God? James 5:15; 1 Cor. 11:29, 30.

"Sin has brought many . . . where they are—to a state of

feebleness of mind and debility of body. Shall prayer be offered

to the God of heaven for His healing to come upon them then

and there, without specifying any conditions? I say, No, de-

cidedly no....

"Examination should be made as to whether those who

would be blessed with health have indulged in evilspeaking,

alienation, and dissension. Have they sowed discord among

the brethren and sisters of the church? If these things have

been committed they should be confessed before God and the

church. When wrongs have been confessed the subjects for

prayer may be presented before God in earnestness and faith,

as the Spirit of God may move upon

you."—Counsels on Health,

pages 373, 374.

THINK IT THROUGH



What is the effect of sin on my health?

FURTHER STUDY



Counsels on Health,

pages 373-382.

Man and Nature

LESSON 9



❑

Wednesday

May

Part 4

THE HEART

How does the Bible describe the condition of the human

heart?

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately

wicked: who can know it?" Jer. 17:9.

"The heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness

is in their heart while they live." Eccl. 9:3.

What is the meaning of the Biblical term "heart"? See

Prov. 15:11-15; Matt. 13:19; 2 Thess. 2:17.

The Bible writers use "heart" for the inner man, the way he

thinks, feels, and believes—his true character. It stands over

and against what people may think he is. "Heart" stands for

the whole person and is therefore frequently used interchange-

ably with the words "soul" and "spirit." But "heart" is espe-

cially used for man in his relationship to God. And since that

relationship is broken (the heart is evil), man's will, feelings,

thoughts, imaginations, and actions are all affected. The whole

man has become depraved.

Is this condition of man's heart irreversible? Jer. 24:7;

Ezek. 11:19.

The plan of salvation can be a reality because man's heart

can be changed. If man were irreversibly evil, the concept of

redemption would have no meaning. Man is redeemable. Jesus

will give the repentant sinner a new heart.

Ellen White explains the process in these words: "When

Jesus speaks of the new heart, He means the mind, the life, the

whole being. To have a change of heart is to withdraw the

affections from the world, and fasten them upon Christ. To

have a new heart is to have a new mind, new purposes, new

motives. What is the sign of a new heart?—a changed life.

There is a daily, hourly dying to selfishness and pride."—Ellen

G. White Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

Vol. 4, pp. 1164,

1165.

The same Scriptures that speak of the evil propensity of the

human heart also assure us of the change that God works in

us if we choose to "open our hearts" and have them "renewed."

THINK IT THROUGH



What is the primary way by which people become dis-

obedient to God?

"Without the transforming process which can come alone

through divine power, the original propensities to sin are left

in the heart in all their strength, to forge new chains, to impose

a slavery that can never be broken by human

power."—Evan-

gelism,

page 192.

FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pages 467, 468.

Man and Nature

LESSON 9



❑

Thursday

May 29

Part 5

FREEDOM

"Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,

Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the ser-

vant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth

ever. If the Son therefore

4hall

make you free, ye shall be

free indeed." John 8:34-36.

Sin was possible because God created man a free moral

being; he was free from fear and coercion and free to choose

whom he would serve, glorify, and obey. It was because of

this freedom that man could really love God and respond to

Him. "Without freedom of choice, his obedience would not have

been voluntary, but forced. There could have been no develop-

ment of character. Such a course would have been contrary

to God's plan in dealing with the inhabitants of other worlds. It

would have been unworthy of man as an intelligent being, and

would have sustained Satan's charge of God's arbitrary rule."

—Patriarchs and Prophets,

page 49.

But when man sinned, he thereby became a slave.

In what ways is man's unfreedom revealed? Rom. 7:14-21.

The question has often been raised, If man could not use

his freedom the way he wanted to, was he then really free?

Freedom that is not oriented toward God, and not safeguarded

by His laws, ceases to be genuine freedom because sin in-

cludes the drive for each person to control the other. Sin did

not rob man of his freedom in the sense that he cannot make

choices or decisions anymore. That gift still distinguishes man

from the animals, who are guided by instinct and the laws of

nature. Man still chooses. In that respect man retains the image

of God. But it is an imperfect image, because that freedom,

apart from God, has made man a slave of other men, things,

and powers over which he has no control.

THINK IT THROUGH



What is the meaning of Paul's statement: "Where the

Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty"? 2 Cor. 3:17.

"What you need to understand is the true force of the will.

This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of

decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action

of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is

theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot

of yourself give to God its affections; but you can

choose

serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in

you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus

your whole nature will be brought under the control of the

Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your

thoughts will be in harmony with

Him."—Steps to Christ,

page 47.

FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"Consecration," pages 43-48.

Man and Nature

LESSON 9



❑

Friday

May 30

Part 6

MADE OF DUST

"Those who belong to the earth are like the one who was

made of earth; those who are of heaven are like the one who

came from heaven. Just as we wear the likeness of the man

made of earth, so we will wear the likeness of the Man from

heaven." 1 Cor. 15:48, 49, TEV.

After Adam had sinned he heard God say to him, "Dust thou

art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Gen. 3:19. Some have

tried to estimate the money value of that dust out of which

man is formed. But the value of a person does not lie in being

dust, but in the fact that God has formed that dust into His own

image. Man became a living being—heart, soul, spirit, and

flesh. There is love in him and laughter, courage, and strength.

He is a person. In spite of all the corruption, hatred, evil, and

sin that have reigned in the world ever since Adam first sinned,

that image of God has not disappeared. It has been distorted

and marred, but the traces of the divine inscription remain on

every human being.

How has the image of God in some degree remained in

man? Ps. 139:13-16.

Through the formation of human beings, God is the Creator

of all men. "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high,

I cannot attain unto it" (Ps. 139:6), but it is Biblical truth. God

created Adam in His own image; through Adam God passed it

on to Seth, and so on. Out of one blood He formed the whole

human race. And there is only one human race; for all ethnic

groups, tall or small people, light or heavy build, share alike

in the image of God. The imperfection of the image is not re-

flected in such physical features as skin color or hair form

or bone structure, but in man's broken relationship with God,

his fellowmen and the rest of God's creation. As we all share

alike in the image of God, so we also all share alike in its

impairment.

What assurance does the Scripture give us that God has

not left men to their own? Luke 19:10; Heb. 13:5, 6.

"The lost coin, in the Saviour's parable, though lying in the

dirt and rubbish, was a piece of silver still. Its owner sought

it because it was of value. So every soul, however degraded

by sin, is in God's sight accounted precious. As the coin bore

the image and superscription of the reigning power, so man

at his creation bore the image and superscription of God."—

Ministry of Healing,

page 163.

THINK IT THROUGH



In what ways do I fail to recognize in my fellowmen the

image of God?

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pages 825-827.

H. ARMSTRONG ROBERTS

LESSON 10

June 1-7

"For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the

dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

1 Cor. 15:21, 22.

All created organisms die. But only man knows about death. He is not only

daily exposed to death, which affects his whole existence, his life and his

thought; but death is to him a daily possibility, and he is constantly aware of it.

No scientific explanation has as yet been found as to why man should die.

What factor is there in man that he, after a while, grows old and dies? Why do

not his living cells continue to multiply themselves, without end, or without

distortions? It is part of our nature, and we know it. But why?

Since this question cannot be answered satisfactorily, the question shifts

to, What is the meaning of death? If there is life, why should there be death?

Or if there is death, why should there be life? Does death only prove the fool-

ishness of life, as some maintain, or the futility of all human endeavor? Or

does it, perhaps, give our sixty or seventy years of existence a special meaning,

a special richness, as others have said? But of course no satisfactory answer

can be found to these questions before we have come to grips with these two

basic questions: Why death? And what is death?

In the discussions on death, a distinction should be made between death

as the ceasing of life, and death as it relates to the whole human person. Is

death, as a cessation of life, also the very end of min? Of course when death

comes, gone are man's activities as we know them: his laughter, his love, his

praises, his thoughts. The Biblical testimony on that issue is clear. But is death

also the end of man? In other words, is death the same as nothingness? Few,

very few indeed, have considered death to be nothingness. But on the question

of the condition of man in death no unanimous opinion exists among Christians.

In fact, they range from the view that at death an entity called "soul" or "spirit"

leaves the body to be preserved until the resurrection, to the view that man as

a whole rests until the day when he is called to life again. These views are

based on the Biblical idea that death is not the end of man, but a time of rest, a

condition of transition to a new form of existence. Also on the question, Why

should men die? exists general consensus among Christians. There remains

only, and in particular, the question therefore, What happens to man at death?

What is his condition during that period of transition from life to life? In short,

What is death? Let us, in this lesson, prayerfully consider the Biblical answers

to these important questions. For not only is it the lot of all men once to die,

but also man's whole attitude toward life is largely shaped, if not determined,

by his attitude toward death.

LESSON OUTLINE

A Result of Sin, Gen. 2:7; 15-17

Condition in Death, Eccl. 12:7; Mark 15:37

The Punishment for Sin, Rev. 21:8

Jesus, Our Substitute, Matt. 27:50-54

Baptized Into His Death, Rom. 6:1-4

Jesus' Death Reenacted, 1 Car. 15:31

Man and Death

LESSON 10



❑

Sunday

June I

Part 1

A RESULT

OF SIN

"The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and

breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became

a living soul." Gen. 2:7.

"And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the

garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God

commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden

thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of

good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that

thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Verses 15-17.

According to the testimony of Scripture,. man was created

with the possibility of living forever. When Adam sinned, he

severed himself from God, the source of his existence. At the

very moment that the image of God was marred, man became

a son of death.

Why do all men die? Rom. 5:12-14; 6:20, 21.

From the Scriptures it is clear that all men have sinned

and, therefore, they die. Man's death is a demonstration of the

fact that he has fallen away from God. On the other hand, the

fact that all men die, and that there is nobody who is exempt

from death, confirms that all men are sinners. Human death

points, therefore, to the need for a Redeemer, for Someone

who can rescue man from the power of death. Rom. 7:24.

Is the first death a punishment for sin? Gen. 2:17; Rom.

6:23.

Death does not originate with God, and neither was it willed

by Him. It is the

consequence

of sin. It is like the darkness

which comes when we shut off the light bulb from its source

of electricity. When Adam sinned and thereby broke his rela-

tionship with the source of his life, death became inevitable.

THINK IT THROUGH



Since death is a result of man's sin, why should also the

other living organisms die?

"To Adam, the offering of the first sacrifice was a most

painful ceremony. His hand must be raised to take life, which

only God could give. It was the first time he had ever witnessed

death, and he knew that had he been obedient to God, there

would have been no death of man or

beast."—Patriarchs and

Prophets,

page 68.

"Christ never planted the seeds of death in the system.

Satan planted these seeds when he tempted Adam to eat of

the tree of knowledge which meant disobedience to God."—

Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

Vol. 1, p.

1082.

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pages 59, 60.

Man and Death

LESSON 10



❑

Monday

June



Part 2



"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and

CONDITION

the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." Eccl. 12:7.



IN DEATH



"And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the

ghost." Mark 15:37.

What happens to man at death? Gen. 7:21; Job 14:10; Acts

5:5, 10.

According to Genesis 2:7, man became a "living soul"

(nephesh)

only when God breathed into his nostrils the breath

of life. At death, this process is reversed: The breath returns

to God, who gave it, and man turns to dust again. Death, then,

is in essence the cessation of life.

How complete is the cessation of life in man at death?

Ps. 6:5; 115:17; 146:4; Eccl. 9:5, 6.

Man is a total whole, an indivisible unit. When death comes,

it affects the whole person, man in his totality, as soul, body,

and spirit. At death the whole man, his being, and his con-

sciousness cease.

Is death for the Christian the same as extinction? Rom.

14:8.

The apostle Paul was persuaded that nothing, "neither

death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor

things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor

any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love

of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom. 8:38, 39. From

the texts mentioned—and others—it can be concluded that

while death is the cessation of life, something is preserved. In

the resurrection the same man who gave up the spirit will be

brought to life again. It is he, and not another being. It is the

same person. The Bible therefore speaks of death, not as an

annihilation of man, but as a time in which he is laid to rest,

waiting for the resurrection.

THINK IT THROUGH



What, then, is preserved at death?

"Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection,

though not the same particles of matter or material substance

as went into the grave. The wondrous works of God are a

mystery to man. The spirit, the character of man, is returned

to God, there to be preserved. In the resurrection every man

will have his own character. God in His own time will call forth

the dead, giving again the breath of life, and bidding the dry

bones live."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible Commen-

tary,

Vol. 6, p. 1093.



FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pages 546-550.

Man and Death

LESSON 10



❑

Tuesday

June 3

Part 3

THE PUNISH-

MENT FOR SIN

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable,

and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idola-

ters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which

burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

Rev. 21:8.

What does the Bible mean by the term "second death"?

Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 14.

Contrary to the first death—death in general, which is the

lot of all men—the second death strikes only those whom the

Bible describes as the wicked; that is, those who consciously

rejected Christ and His grace and who refused to have Christ

restore them into His own image and likeness. This death comes

after the thousand years (Rev. 20:2-7) and means not just the

end of life, but the total annihilation of the whole person. This

second death is the very opposite of eternal life.

What other contrasts are there between the first and the

second death?

The first death is the natural outworking on humanity of

the degenerative effects of sin. The second death is a divine

punishment. Rom. 6:23. What that actually means is this: "He

[God] deprives him [the sinner] of the existence which his

transgressions have forfeited and of which he has proved him-

self unworthy."—The

Great Controversy,

page 544.

The first death is compared with a sleep (John 11:11-14;

1 Cor. 15:51, 52) out of which all men will awake again. John

5:28, 29. The second death is not only a cessation of life and

of consciousness, as the first death, but a total annihilation of

man. Nothing will be preserved. It means total "nothingness."

As the psalmist describes it, "The wicked will be no more; ...

he will not be there." Ps. 37:10, RSV. See also verse 20. That

destruction is total and everlasting. Acts 3:23; 2 Thess. 1:9.

Their lot will be like material that is totally burned up, utterly

consumed by fire. 2 Peter 3:10; Matt. 3:12; Ps. 73:19; Mal. 4:1;

Rev. 20:15; 21:8.

THINK IT THROUGH



How does the second death relate to God's love?

"God has given to men a declaration of His character and

of His method of dealing with sin.... 'The transgressors shall

be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.'

Psalm 37:38. The power and authority of the divine govern-

ment will be employed to put down rebellion; yet all the mani-

festations of retributive justice will be perfectly consistent with

the character of God as a merciful, long-suffering, benevolent

being."—The

Great Controversy,

page 541.

FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pages 540-544.

Man and Death

LESSON 10



❑

Wednesday

June 4

Part 4

JESUS, OUR

SUBSTITUTE

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

"Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded

up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in

twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake,

and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many

bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the

graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city,

and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they

that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake,

and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying,

Truly this was the Son of God." Matt. 27:50-54.

Why did Jesus, who was without sin, have to die? Isa.

53:4-12; 1 Thess. 5:10.

"In dying upon the cross, He transferred the guilt from the

person of the transgressor to that of the divine Substitute,

through faith in Him as his personal Redeemer. The sins of a

guilty world, which in figure are represented as 'red as crim-

son,' were imputed to the divine Surety."—Ellen G. White,

Manuscript 84a,

1897.

"'Christ was suffering the death that was pronounced upon

the transgressors of God's law."—Ellen G. White,

Manuscript

35, 1895.

Note.

The above two quotations appear in

Questions on

Doctrine,

pages 666, 667.

"The cross must occupy the central place because it is the

means of man's atonement and because of the influence it

exerts on every part of the divine government."—Testimonies,

Vol. 6, p. 236.

"The atonement of Christ is not a mere skillful way to have

our sins pardoned; it is a divine remedy for the cure of trans-

gression and the restoration of spiritual health. It is the heaven-

ordained means by which the righteousness of Christ may be

not only upon us, but in our hearts and characters."—Ellen G.

White,

Letter 406,

1906.

"By transgression man was severed from God, the commu-

nion between them was broken, but Jesus died upon the cross

of Calvary, bearing in His body the sins of the whole world;

and the gulf between heaven and earth was bridged by that

cross."—Ellen G. White,

Manuscript 21,

1895.

"Thus through the crucifixion of Christ, human beings are

reconciled to God."—Ellen G. White,

Letter

255, 1904.

"Christ bore the penalty that would have fallen upon the

transgressor."—Ellen G. White,

Review and Herald,

May 23,

1899.

Note:

The above four quotations appear in

Questions on Doc-

trine,

pages 668-671.

What effect has the death of Christ on me?

The Desire of Ages,

pages 752-754.

Man and Death

LESSON 10



fl Thursday

June 5

Part 5

BAPTIZED INTO

HIS DEATH

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that

grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead

to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many

of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into

his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into

death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by

the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in new-

ness of life." Rom. 6:1-4.

Baptism plunges us into Christ's death. Through baptism,

which is a semblance of His death and of His burial—hence

also the Biblical requirement for baptism by immersion—we

have participated in the death of Christ.

Did Christ die the first death only, or did He also die the

second death? Matt. 27:46; 1 Thess. 5:9, 10.

Christ bore the penalty of our sins, that is, the second death,

the utter lostness and forsakenness from God. Christ has ex-

perienced the sufferings of the death that is the "wages of

sin." Rom. 6:23. "The death referred to [in Rom. 6:23 and

Deut. 30:15] . . . is not that pronounced upon Adam, for all

mankind suffer the penalty of his transgression. It is 'the sec-

ond death' that is placed in contrast with everlasting life."—

The Great Controversy,

page 544. The believer who accepts

Christ's death as a substitution of his own death is thereby

saved from destruction and total annihilation, which is the

second death.

What is the

effect

of baptism, as a burial with Christ, upon

a person's life? Rom. 6:6-14; 7:4-6; Col. 2:12.

At baptism the true believer is free: free from the penalty of

sin, free to enter life, free to say No to sin and to the tempta-

tions of the devil, free to do good and to hate evil, free to love

God and his neighbor. Christ set us free, to be free men.

THINK IT THROUGH



Did I really die to sin at my baptism? What evidence is

there?

FURTHER STUDY

"Baptism is a most solemn renunciation of the world. Self is

by profession dead to a life of sin."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

Vol. 6, p. 1074.

"Those who do this [receive baptism] are to make all worldly

considerations secondary to their new relations. Publicly they

have declared that they will no longer live in pride and self-

indulgence. . . . They are subjects of Christ's kingdom, par-

takers of the divine nature."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA

Bible Commentary,

Vol. 6, page 1075.

The Great Controversy,

pages 461, 462.

Man and Death

LESSON 10



❑

Friday

June 6

Part 6

JESUS' DEATH

REENACTED

"1 protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus

our Lord, I die daily." 1 Cor. 15:31.

Death is an objective reality, as well as a personal experi-

ence. We know of death; we speak of it, and we experience it

daily in us and around us. That is also true about the death of

Christ. It happened once in history as an objective fact; and

the effects it had for all men—peace, freedom, righteousness,

and reconciliation—are an objective reality. Christ died for us

while we were yet sinners, and we did not know Him. Rom. 5:8.

His death has brought salvation to all men. John 3:16. But His

death, and its effects, must also be a daily, personal experience.

In what ways do we share in the death of Christ? 2 Cor.

4:10-12; Rom. 8:17; Phil. 1:29; 2 Tim. 2:8-11.

What is the meaning of the Lord's Supper and foot wash-

ing? 1 Cor. 11:23-27; John 13:12-17.

In the celebration of the Lord's Supper we are not only an-

nouncing the death of Christ and what it means to all men; not

only are we declaring ourselves guilty of His death; not only

do we experience the joy of having been redeemed from the

"wages of sin." We are also to announce our own death in the

death of Christ, our death to sin, our death to all pride and

jealousy, strife, and evil. We are reminded of the fact that we

shall live with Christ only when we have died with Him. 2 Tim.

2:11. The Lord's Supper is a celebration in memory of Him who

died almost two thousand years ago, and also a celebration of

what Jesus has done personally for the believers who die with

Him and who are renewed in body, soul, and spirit.



THINK IT THROUGH



What has Jesus done for me that is worthy of celebration?

"By the act of our Lord this humiliating ceremony [of the

foot washing] was made a consecrated ordinance. It was to be

observed by the disciples, that they might ever keep in mind

His lessons of humility and service.

"This ordinance is Christ's appointed preparation for the

sacramental service. While pride, variance, and strife for su-

premacy are cherished, the heart cannot enter into fellowship

with Christ. We are not prepared to receive the communion of

His body and His blood. Therefore it was that Jesus appointed

the memorial of His humiliation to be first observed."—The

Desire of Ages,

page 650.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pages 650-661.

Man and

Eternal Life

LESSON 11

June 8-14

"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them

that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection

of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

1 Cor. 15:20-22.

It is a common belief that death is not the end of man. The most common

concept among the religions and philosophies of man, from ancient times until

today, is that there is something in man that cannot die, that the body may be

laid to rest, but his spirit or soul lives on. But the Bible teaches that man is a

total whole, an indivisible unit. He is flesh, soul, heart, and spirit. None of these

terms stands for a part in man that contrasts it with another part. They stand for

the whole person, as he relates to God, to his fellowmen, and to his environment.

Man lives because God gives him life. Life and all consciousness cease to-

gether. When Christ faced the terror of death, he was utterly troubled, and He

prayed the Father, "All things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from

me." Mark 14:36. When He was in the hands of death, Christ felt totally for-

saken by God. Mark 15:37. Death is the enemy of God, His last enemy, as the

apostle Paul calls it. 1 Cor. 15:26. Death separates man from God, who is Life

and the Creator of all life. The Christian's hope in death lies in the resurrec-

tion. There also lies our comfort and consolation. 1 Thess. 4:13-18. The whole

man will be restored in the resurrection: body, soul, and spirit. It will be a new

creation.

The Bible asserts that eternal life is bound up with the person of Jesus

Christ, and His death. Eternal life is Christ's gift of grace, acquired by faith

in Him "who gave Himself for us." In this light, the teaching of the natural im-

mortality of the soul is "unchristian," and the deception of antichrist; it detracts

from the Biblical message of salvation by grace through faith. It is a deception

that in essence goes back to the satanic lie, "Ye shall not surely die." Gen.

3:4. Such a teaching, therefore, cannot merely be treated as a harmless error;

it must be attacked as a satanic deception, which, in fact, it is. It covers up

the seriousness of sin, which robs man of eternal life. Christ's work and sacri-

ficial death are wholly misrepresented, and the principles and laws that are

the foundations of God's kingdom are declared null and void. The Biblical mes-

sage of resurrection and immortality is, therefore, not only a source of hope,

joy, and consolation; it is also a bulwark against deception. It is at the very

foundation of the "eternal gospel," that gives us life, freedom, and assurance.

LESSON OUTLINE

The Resurrection Foretold, Isa. 26:19

The Resurrection Promised, John 5:25-29

The Lord Is Risen, Luke 24:5-9

The Resurrection Assured, 1 Thess. 4:14

God Alone Is Immortal, 1 Tim. 1:17

A New Life, Rom. 6:4, 9-11

JOHN STEEL, ARTIST, © PPPA

Man and Eternal Life

LESSON 11



❑

Sunday

June

Part 1

THE RESURREC-

TION FORETOLD

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

"Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body

shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for

thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out

the dead." Isa. 26:19.

Isaiah's teaching of a resurrection contrasts sharply with

the idea prevailing in the nations surrounding the people of

God that at death man's body is laid at rest, but that his im-

mortal soul, or spirit, lives on. This contrast has been a crucial

difference between God's people and those whom the Bible

refers to as Babel.

It has often been noted that there are only a few clear and

unambiguous statements in the Old Testament concerning the

resurrection. Yet there are passages that lead to the conclusion

that Israel had a rather clear concept of the resurrection, and

also that this concept was widespread. The combined testimony

of the Old and the New Testaments strongly sustains the resur-

rection hope.

What is the testimony of Job and the psalmist regarding

a resurrection? Job 14:13-17; 19:25-27; Ps. 16:8-11.

The testimony of the Old Testament is clear:

"The Lord kills and he gives life,

he sends down to sheol [the grave], he can bring

the dead up again." 1 Sam. 2:6, NEB.

Death is not to be feared.

"Even though I walk through the

valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil;

for thou art with me." Ps. 23:4, RSV.

"The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righ-

teous hath hope in his death." Prov. 14:32.

This certainly refers to the day when God's promise of the

resurrection would be fulfilled. In the Old Testament the resur-

rection is the basis and the only hope of salvation for the dead,

as the prophet Daniel clearly testified. Dan. 12:2, 3.

Un-Biblical views of man in death have often led Christians

into an incorrect doctrine of the resurrection. This combination

of error opens a door to spiritism.

What attitude did God express toward those who practice

the delusion of contacting dead persons? Deut. 18:9-12. See

also Lev. 19:31; 20:6; 1 Sam. 28.

Belief in spirits was widespread in the ancient East. It was

because of the evil of spiritism that the Canaanites were driven

out of their land. Spiritism always pollutes; it is abominable in

God's sight.

Why is belief in and contact with spirits an abomination

to God?

The Great Controversy,

pages 533, 534.

Man and Eternal Life

LESSON 11



❑

Monday

June

Part 2

THE RESURREC-

TION PROMISED

Life after death will result from what event, according to

the promise of Jesus?

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and

now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God:

and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in

himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.

. . . Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which

all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come

forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;

and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damna-

tion." John 5:25-29.

Jesus taught that there would be two resurrections. This is

an important part of the Christian message of the resurrection.

First, because it stresses again the fact that the resurrection

is built on the work of Jesus Christ. He has conquered death,

and nobody therefore has to remain in its bondage. He is Lord

over the living and the dead. Rom. 14:9. Second, it reaffirms

that all men will appear, bodily and literally, before the judg-

ment seat of Christ. 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10. People may reject

Christ while they are still alive, or make fun of Him. At one time

they will see Him to hear His condemnation of their unbelief.

And third, this belief in the resurrection of believers and un-

believers agrees with the Biblical view that all men owe their

life, their whole existence, to Christ. He is the Creator of all

men. In Him all live and move and have their existence. Acts

17:25. The unbeliever may deny Christ; it does not alter the

fact that, as God's creature, he lives only through Him.

What experiences confirm Jesus' promise of the resurrec-

tion? Luke 7:11-17; 8:49-56; John 11:25, 38-44.

These three resurrections affirmed the possibility of ful-

fillment of Jesus' promise that all men would be raised from

the dead. They literally demonstrated the words of Jesus in

John 5:25. The

New English Bible

reads: "A time is coming,

indeed it is already here, when the dead shall hear the voice

of the Son of God, and all who hear shall come to life." The

resurrections demonstrate that Jesus is the Son of God, who is

"the resurrection and the life." John 11:25.

THINK IT THROUGH



How does Jesus' promise of the resurrection affect my life?

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pages 530, 535, 536.

Man and Eternal Life

LESSON 11



❑

Tuesday

June 10

Part 3

THE LORD

IS RISEN

"Why seek ye the living among The dead? He is not here,

but is risen: remember how he spoke unto you when he was

yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into

the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third clay

rise again. And they remembered his words, and returned

from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven,

and to all the rest." Luke 24:5-9.

What are some of the evidences that Jesus was raised

from the dead? Matt. 28:5-15; Luke 24:28-31, 36, 50-53.

From the three descriptions of the resurrection emerge these

significant aspects: On Sunday morning, after Jesus' death at

the cross and His burial, the tomb where they laid Him is found

empty. This is a fulfillment of Jesus' own words, repeated on

three different occasions, that He would be crucified and rise

on the third day. Only after Jesus' resurrection did they recall

such predictions and understand their meaning.

Jesus was seen by many people: the guards, the women,

people in Galilee, travelers on the way to Emmaus, the dis-

ciples and "the rest of the company" of Jerusalem. See also

1 Cor. 15:3-8.

Jesus commissioned the people to spread the good news in

all the world. And the Lord confirmed their work with signs

and miracles, another evidence that the Lord was truly risen.

Why is the belief in the resurrection of Christ important?

1 Cor. 15:16-20; 1 Thess. 4:14.

How does the resurrection of Jesus relate to man's im-

mortality? 1 Cor. 15:20, 21, 51-54; 1 Thess. 4:16-18.

"As Christ arose, He brought from the grave a multitude of

captives. The earthquake at His death had rent open their

graves, and when He arose, they came forth with Him.. ..

"Those who came forth from the grave at Christ's resurrec-

tion were raised to everlasting life. They ascended with Him as

trophies of His victory over death and the grave... .

"These went into the city, and appeared unto many, declar-

ing, Christ has risen from the dead, and we be risen with Him.

Thus was immortalized the sacred truth of the resurrection....

"At the Saviour's resurrection a few graves were opened,

but at His second coming all the precious dead shall hear His

voice, and shall come forth to glorious, immortal life."—The

Desire of Ages,

pages 786, 787.

THINK IT THROUGH



What is the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus to me?

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pages 779-782.

Man and Eternal Life

LESSON 11



❑

Wednesday

June 11

Part 4

THE RESURREC-

TION ASSURED

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even

so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."

1 Thess. 4:14.

When will the resurrection take place? 1 Cor. 15:23.

"A distinction is made between the two classes that are

brought forth. 'All that are in the graves shall hear His voice,

and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the

resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the

resurrection of damnation.' John 5:28, 29."—The

Great Con-

troversy,

page 544.

The first group will rise from their graves at the coming of

Christ and reign with Him for a thousand years. This is the first

resurrection. When the thousand years are over, the second

resurrection will take place. Then the wicked will be raised

and appear before God for the execution of "the judgment writ-

ten."

What illustrations does Paul give of the resurrection?

1 Cor. 15:35-44.

We have to watch for two dangers. One is that we spiritual-

ize the Biblical notion of a literal and bodily resurrection. The

other is that we lose ourselves in a materialistic view of the

resurrection that focuses on the question, In what kind of body?

To these the apostle Paul says, "How foolish."

The certainty of a literal, bodily resurrection lies in the very

resurrection of Jesus. He was not a ghost, but a real person of

"flesh and bones." Luke 24:36-43.

The earthly being must be given a heavenly body and im-

mortality. But he remains the same person, just as Jesus said

of Himself after His resurrection. See Luke 24:38, 39. People

will recognize each other in the same way as the disciples rec-

ognized their Lord.



THINK IT THROUGH



What

really is the joy of the resurrection?

"Here they stand, and the finishing touch of immortality is

put upon them, and they go up to meet their Lord in the air.

The gates of the city of God swing back upon their hinges, and

the nations that have kept the truth enter in. . . . Christ bids

them welcome and puts upon them His benediction: 'Well done,

thou good and faithful servant: . . . enter thou into the joy of

thy Lord.' What is that joy? He sees of the travail of His soul,

and is satisfied."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible Com-

mentary,

Vol. 6, p. 1093.



FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pages 322, 482, 544, 637, 644, 661,

662.

Man and Eternal Life

LESSON 11



111

Thursday

June 12

Part 5



"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only

GOD ALONE IS

wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

IMMORTAL

1 Tim. 1:17.

The word "immortal" is used only twice in the Scriptures.

In both instances, the word refers to God. The redeemed re-

ceive immortality at the resurrection, and it is a gift of Jesus

Christ. In no instance are the terms connected with the present

nature of man, or with a part of man. Right from the beginning,

as Genesis 2:17 indicates, man was created a mortal being. He

has no life in himself. He exists only by the life God gave him.

How can man share in the immortality of God? 2 Tim. 1:9,

10; 1 Cor. 15:50-54. See also John 3:16, 17.

In the Scriptures immortality—that is, the complete freedom

from death—is made possible only through the life and death

of our Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout all eternity it remains a

gift of God, based on the work of Christ. All who believe in

Him can be sure of the everlasting life, offered man through

grace. Those who reject Him who is the Resurrection and the

Life will perish and be no more. The choice between life and

death, between immortality and nothingness, is made possible

through Christ. Without Him man is doomed to annihilation.

Jesus' words on "eternal life" as a gift that comes to the

believer in his earthly existence must be taken with utter seri-

ousness. Jesus recognized that such words as "Whosoever

liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (John 11:26) seemed

unbelievable to man, and He therefore added the question,

"Believest thou this?" Knowing Christ and Him who sent Him

is to participate in everlasting life. John 17:3. With the resur-

rection of Christ, the eternal life has already begun in everyone

who wholeheartedly accepts Him. We may fall asleep; but this

is not final, says the Bible. 1 Thess. 4:14. This is not a euphe-

mism, as with the Jews and the Greeks. It is a reality to the be-

lieving Christian. Let us be careful that we don't react to this

Biblical testimony as the Jews did in Jesus' days; they laughed

at Him (Mark 5:39, 40) and declared that He was possessed.

John 8:52. But Jesus' words are truth; He is the Resurrection

and the Life. To the one who believes in Him, eternal life has

already begun; the kingdom is his.

THINK IT THROUGH



Do I have eternal life?

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pages 779-787.

Man and Eternal Life

LESSON 11



❑

Friday

June 13

Part 6

A NEW LIFE

"As Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of

the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

"Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no

more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he

died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth

unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead

indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our

Lord." Rom. 6:4, 9-11.

How does Jesus' resurrection affect our lives now? Rom.

6:1-11; 8:11-17; Col. 3:1-4.

Baptism is a sign not only of our death to sin and the wash-

ing away of our guilt, but also of a new birth in which the new

man lives a life in perfect union with God. It means a re-crea-

tion of the image of God in man.

"Christ made baptism the entrance to His spiritual king-

dom.. . . Those who receive the ordinance of baptism thereby

make a public declaration that they have renounced the world,

and have become members of the royal family, children of the

heavenly king.

"Those who do this are to make all worldly considerations

secondary to their new relations. Publicly they have declared

that they will no longer live in pride and self-indulgence. Christ

enjoins those who receive this ordinance to remember that

they are bound by a solemn covenant to live to the Lord. They

are to use for Him all their entrusted capabilities, never losing

the realization that they bear God's sign of obedience to the

Sabbath of the fourth commandment, that they are subjects of

Christ's kingdom, partakers of the divine nature."—Ellen G.

White Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

Vol. 6, p. 1075.

THINK IT THROUGH



What evidence do 1 have that I am really resurrected with

Christ into a new life?

" `If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which

are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.'

"Let those who received the imprint of God by baptism

heed these words, remembering that upon them the Lord has

placed His signature, declaring them to be His sons and

daughters."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible Commen-

tary,

Vol. 6, p. 1075.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pages 109-113.

"Through Christ, restoration as Wei

as reconciliation is provided for man.

The gulf that was made by sin has

been spanned by the cross of Calvary;

A full, complete ransom has been

paid by Jesus. by virtue of which the

sinner is pardoned, and the justice of the

law is maintained. Ail who befieve that Christ is

the atoning sacrifice may come and receive pardon

for their sins: for through the merit of Christ,

communication has been opened between God allt

man. God can accept me as His child, and I can,

claim Him and rejoice in Him as my loving

Father. We must center our hopes of heaven

upon Christ alone, because He is our substitUte'

and surety."—Selected

Messages,

Bk. 1, p. 363.

The



LESSON 12

June 15-21

Imasc of God

QcAorcd

"And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things,

which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world

began." Acts 3:20, 21.

To understand fully what is meant by

restitution

restoration

(NEB) one has

to keep in mind five questions: (1) What is it that has to be restored? (2) What

caused the distortion? (3) What were the effects of the marring? (4) By what

means is restoration to be achieved? (5) What are the effects of the work of

restoration?

From the previous lessons the following insights clearly emerge: Sin has

caused a break between man and God, between man and his fellowmen, be-

tween man and the rest of God's creation, and has distorted the wholeness of

man's heart, soul, body, and spirit. Sin emerged as an attack on the govern-

ment of God, its laws, and its principles. This means that restoration implies

the vindication of God's government, His righteousness, and the principles and

laws upon which His government is based—love, freedom, obedience, and

justice. Restoration implies also a reconciliation between man and God, be-

tween man and his fellowmen, between man and the rest of God's creation,

and the restoration of man's wholeness.

The restoration of the image of God in man is both an event of the future

as well as an experience man can have today. The Biblical message of the

nature and the destiny of man is one that gives hope for the future, as well as

one that speaks of the restoration of man's high calling and status today. The

restoration of the image of God in man is a promise as well as a fulfillment,

a possibility as well as an actuality. For "the very essence of the gospel is

restoration."—The

Desire of Ages,

page 824.

Let us pray and believe and work that soon the image of Jesus may be fully

restored in us, and we may soon see Him.

LESSON OUTLINE

God's Character Vindicated

Reconciliation, 2 Cor. 5:19-21

All One Person, Gal. 3:28

Power Over Nature, Luke 10:18, 19

A Free Person, John 8:32, 36

An Indivisible Whole, 2 Thess. 5:23

The Image of God Restored

LESSON 12



❑

Sunday

June 15

Part 1

GOD'S CHARAC-

TER VINDICATED

"The plan of redemption had a yet broader and deeper

purpose than the salvation of man. It was not for this alone

that Christ came to the earth; it was not merely that the in-

habitants of this little world might regard the law of God as it

should be regarded; but

it was to vindicate the character of

God before the universe. . . .

The act of Christ in dying for the

salvation of man would not only make heaven accessible to

men, but before all the universe it would justify God and His

Son in their dealing with the rebellion of Satan. It would estab-

lish the perpetuity of the law of God and would reveal the

nature and the results of

sin."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

pages

68, 69. (Emphasis supplied.)

What did Jesus state to be two purposes of His work?

Matt. 5:17-19; John 12:31, 32.

"From the very beginning of the great controversy in heaven

it has been Satan's purpose to overthrow the law of God."—The

Great Controversy,

page 582.

"He [Jesus] gave His life as a sacrifice, not to destroy God's

law, not to create a lower standard, but that justice might be

maintained, that the law might be shown to be immutable, that

it might stand fast forever."—Christ's

Object Lessons,

page

314.

What event began the restoration of God's government

and the vindication of His laws? Eph. 1:19-23; Rev. 12:9, 10.

"When Christ died, the destruction of Satan was made cer-

tain. . . . The very fact that Christ bore the penalty of man's

transgression is a mighty argument to all created intelligences

that the law is changeless; that God is righteous, merciful, and

self-denying; and that infinite justice and mercy unite in the

administration of His government."—Patriarchs

and Prophets,

page 70.

THINK IT THROUGH



Since the kingdom of God has been assured by the life

and the death of Jesus Christ, what is the meaning of our

prayer and expectation, "Thy kingdom come"?

"The warfare against God's law . . . will be continued until

the end of time. Every man will be tested. Obedience or dis-

obedience is the question to be decided by the whole world.

All will be called to choose between the law of God and the

laws of men. Here the dividing line will be drawn."—The

De-

sire of Ages,

page 763.

FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pages 582-586.

The Image of God Restored

LESSON 12



❑

Monday

June 16

"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,

not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed

unto us the word of reconciliation. . . . For he hath made him

to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made

the righteousness of God in him." 2 Cor. 5:19-21.

"Adam, in his innocence, had enjoyed open communion with

his Maker; but sin brought separation between God and man,

and the atonement of Christ alone could span the abyss and

make possible the communication of blessing and salvation

from heaven to

earth."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

page 67.

"Reconciliation means that every barrier between the soul

and God is removed, and that the sinner realizes what the par-

doning love of God means. By reason of the sacrifice made by

Christ for fallen men, God can justly pardon the transgressor

who accepts the merits of Christ."—Selected

Messages,

Bk. 1,

p. 396.

"Through the merit of Christ, communication has been

opened between God and

man."—Selected Messages,

Bk. 1,

p. 363.

By what means is the restoration of the relationship be-

tween God and man accomplished? Rom. 3:23-28; Eph. 2:4-19.

What is the character of the new relationship between

God and man? John 1:12, 13; Rom. 8:14-21.

When God forgives men their sins, they are then called sons

and daughters of God. How easily do we talk about this grace

of God, sing about it, and pray about it. But do we ever stop

to realize by what means it was made possible for God to

forgive sins? The forgiveness of our sins cost God the sacrifice

of His own Son. Do we take sin too lightly, and fail to consider

the cost to God? We speak of God as a gracious God. And

He is. But grace is a right, a privilege that was earned by

Christ only when he became "as one of us," "was tempted in

all things like we are," and went through the pain and the

agony of death, the wages of sin. We may never quite fully

understand such love by which Christ earned our grace, by

which we may call God "our Father." But we should never stop

meditating about it.

THINK IT THROUGH



What is my personal relationship to God?

"Forgiveness has a broader meaning than many suppose.

. . . God's forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He

sets us free from condemnation. It is not only forgiveness

for

sin, but reclaiming

from

sin. It is the outflow of redeeming love

that transforms the

heart."—Thoughts From the Mount of Bless-

ing,

page 114.

FURTHER STUDY



Christ's Object Lessons,

"Lost and Is Found," pages 202-

206.

Part 2

RECONCILIATION

The Image of God Restored

LESSON 12



Tuesday

June 17

Part 3



"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond

ALL ONE PERSON

nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one

in Christ Jesus." Gal. 3:28.

Sin brought about a break in the relationships between man

and his fellowmen. The union between husband and wife be-

came broken: Adam accused his wife; they felt shame for each

other; Eve's desire went out to her husband, and the man

became the master of the woman. See Gen. 3:7, 12, 16. And

ever since that time pride, prejudice, envy, and jealousy have

wrought havoc and ruin to interpersonal relationships, from

slavery and racial discrimination, alienation and indifference

toward our brother or neighbor, to estrangement in marriage.

In Christ these broken relationships can be healed and re-

stored. This restoration of the union among men does not

mean, as some have concluded, that now the characteristics

of male and female, or the identities of national or ethnic

groups have been abolished in Christ. No, not at all. They are

rather affirmed. But in Christ a new relationship has been

brought about between blacks and whites, the rich and the

poor, employees and employers, male and female. That new

relationship is one of

equality,

of togetherness, and of partner-

ship, as was intended before man fell into sin.

How is the restoration of man's relationship to his fel-

lowmen related to the restoration of his relationship with

God? Matt. 6:12-15; 18:21, 22.

Man's relationship to his fellowmen is not an addition to

his relationship with God; it is an integral part of it. Love to

God and love to one's fellowmen are not like two pillars; they

are like the two sides of one coin. Neither can exist without

the other. Christianity centers in the presence of Jesus in the

believer which results in a loving relationship with God and

fellowmen.

At the judgment not only will we find out that what we have

done to the least of men will be accounted as having been

done to Jesus (Matt. 25:31-46), the Lord will also ask us:

"Where is the flock that was given thee?" Jer. 13:20. For we

all are our brothers' keepers.

THINK IT THROUGH



Do my relationships with others reflect the restoration of

the image of God in me?

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pages 534, 535;

The Desire of Ages,

pages 183-189.

The Image of God Restored

LESSON 12



❑

Wednesday

June 18

"1 beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold I

give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and

over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any

means hurt you." Luke 10:18, 19.

Snakes, scorpions, illnesses, mental disturbances, droughts,

floods, passions, appetites, unholy desires and ambitions, et

cetera—all are evidences of the effects of sin, a broken rela-

tionship between man and God. The final restoration of the

relationship between man and God will result in a new rela-

tionship between man and the natural world. Some first steps

in this direction can take place even now.

What Biblical promises and evidences show that a restored

relationship with God gives man a whole new relationship

also to nature? Ex. 15:26; Acts 28:1-9; James 5:13-18.

When the image of God has been fully restored in man, a

little child will lead the young lion, an infant will play over the

hole of the asp, and the young child will put his hand on the

adder's den. See Isa. 11:6-8, RSV. And all this because the

land is filled with the knowledge of the Lord (verse 9), which

will come about when "the root of Jesse shall stand as an

ensign to the peoples" (verse 10).

What other aspects of man's existence are under his con-

trol when his relationship with God has been restored?

Rom. 8:1-13; Gal. 5:16-25.

THINK IT THROUGH



What happens to a person's nature when the relationship

with God is restored?

"The truths of God's word are not mere sentiments, but the

utterances of the Most High. He who makes these truths a

part of his life becomes in every sense a new creature. He is

not given new mental powers, but the darkness that through

ignorance and sin has clouded the understanding is removed."

—Counsels to Teachers,

page 452.

"Originally man's affections were in perfect obedience to

God's will; but they have been perverted, misused, and de-

generated by disobedience. In returning to God, the inclina-

tions, the taste, the appetite, and the passions are brought into

higher, holier channels. The bias to evil is overcome through

man's determined effort, aided by the grace of Christ. The

faculties that have been warped in a wrong direction are no

longer misused, perverted, and misapplied. . . . The truth has

been accepted, has convicted the soul, transformed the char-

acter, and there is a purification and elevation of all the powers

of the being, and the God-given powers are no longer de-

based."—Ellen G. White,

Review and Herald,

March 1, 1887.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pages 172-176.

Part 4

POWER OVER

NATURE

The Image of God Restored

LESSON 12



❑

Thursday

June 19

Part 5

A FREE PERSON

"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you

free."

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free

indeed." John 8:32, 36.

Man created in the image of God is free; he is free to re-

spond to God and to his fellowmen, free to exercise control

over nature, free from tendencies or inclinations that would

limit his freedom of choice. But this freedom rests in God, his

Creator. God always makes provision for man to change his

relation to either God or Satan. Satan is a tyrant who makes

provision only for change from God to Satan. Christ came to

restore in man the image of his Maker, and that includes the

restoration of freedom.

What is the nature of man's freedom restored in Christ?

Rom. 6:18, 22; 7:5, 6.

Christ has liberated us from the power of sin. We are no

longer carnal, sold under sin, having to give in to our natural

inclinations, jealousies, appetites, pride, ambitions, et cetera.

Christ has given us back the freedom from our "lower nature,"

and the freedom to follow Him. Because of Adam's sin, our

destiny was determined for us. At the cross man's power of

choice over his own destiny was restored. This choice deter-

mines whether we shall bear again the image of God or remain

a slave.

What appeal does Paul make to those who are free? Gal.

5:13-16.

Though the person whose relationship with God has been

restored has the capability of overcoming the power of sin

which acts in the flesh—that is, our minds, our feelings, our

desires, et cetera—the power of sin has not yet disappeared.

It often continues in our lives in subtle ways. But we can over-

come it by living in the Spirit by faith in Jesus who has set us

free. Gal. 2:20.

THINK IT THROUGH



How am I using my freedom?

"Everyone may place his will on the side of the will of God,

may choose to obey Him, and by thus linking himself with

divine agencies, he may stand where nothing can force him to

do evil. In every youth, every child, lies the power, by the help

of God, to form a character of integrity and to live a life of

usefulness."—Education, page 289.

"The truth of God will so act upon your natural tempera-

ment, that its transforming agency will be revealed in a changed

character."—Fundamentals of Christian Education,

page 263.

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pages 288, 289;

Testimonies,

Vol. 5, pp. 514, 515.

The Image of God Restored

LESSON 12



❑

Friday

June 20

Part 6

AN INDIVISIBLE

WHOLE

"The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray

God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blame-

less unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thess. 5:23.

Man is an indivisible whole, a total unit. The brokenness sin

caused to the image of God is therefore shown not only in the

weaknesses, illnesses, and death that have plagued mankind

since Adam, but especially in the fact that man became a dis-

integrated being. Philosophy and science have cut him into

two or three different components, such as mind and soul and

body. One part of man is often greatly exalted over the other

parts. An example of this is the almost exclusive emphasis in

some quarters on the development of the human mind, to the

neglect of the "soul" and the body. Man is then evaluated by

his I.Q., the grades he makes in school, and his academic

degrees. According to the Scripture, however, man does not

consist of two or three or more parts or components; he is an

indivisible whole, one total unit. Though this view and expe-

rience in man has been marred and distorted, Christ came to

restore man to that harmonious and well-integrated being he

was when he was made in the image of God. "As the sacrifice

in our behalf was complete, so our restoration from the defile-

ment of sin is to be complete."—The

Ministry of Healing,

page

451.

What did Jesus teach about the wholeness of man? Mark

12:30-34.

"The love which Christ diffuses through the whole being

is a vitalizing power. Every vital part—the brain, the heart,

the nerves—it touches with

healing."—Ministry of Healing,

page 115.

THINK IT THROUGH



The holiness of man consists in his wholeness. See "The

Desire of Ages," page 556.

"Through sin the divine likeness was marred, and well-nigh

obliterated. Man's physical powers were weakened, his mental

capacity was lessened, his spiritual vision dimmed. He had

become subject to death. Yet the race was not left without

hope. By infinite love and mercy the plan of salvation had been

devised, and a life of probation was granted. To restore in man

the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in

which he was created, to promote the development of body,

mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might

be realized—this was to be the work of redemption. This is

. . . the great object of

life."—Education,

pages 15, 16.

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pages 15-20.

101

•

JERRY BARTLETT

LESSON 13

June

22-28

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are

passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Cor. 5:17.

The restoration of the image of God in man is both an actual reality and an

unrealized aim. Our relationship with God has been restored; yet why do we

continue in sin? Why do we lack power to overcome? Why do we not have the

love and faith and works that go with such a restored relationship?

What this means is that the restoration of the image of God in man is both

a reality and a challenge to achieve it more fully; it has been accomplished

once, and it is at the same time a continuing process. By the gift of God's grace

the image of God has verily been restored in us, but we must continue to co-

operate with God to receive it more fully and to keep it.

This dual aspect of the restoration of the image of God in man creates a

tension. It is the same tension we experience also between the salvation al-

ready received in Christ and the one yet to be received; between the kingdom

of God that God has already established in us and around us and the kingdom

that Christ will establish when He returns in great glory. But it is a creative

tension. The more we already reflect the image of God, the harder we will work

to possess it fully and to demonstrate its effects on our lives and those of

others. But let us make no mistake here. The sanctified life and the perfecting

of our character are not the work of man, but of God. He has created in us a

new heart, a new mind, and a new spirit. He has reconciled us to Himself, in

Jesus Christ our Lord. All we can do is to acknowledge that fact and accept

it by faith. The more we realize what great work Christ has wrought for us, and

in us, the more we desire to become like Him. That is our work, even though

that desire itself comes from God, who inspires us both to will and to work for

His own chosen purpose. See Phil. 2:13.

As a people living under the judgment and preparing for the coming of

Christ, we are urged to afflict our souls "by repentance of sin and humiliation

before the Lord, lest . . . [we] be cut off. . . . There must be deep, faithful

searching of heart. . . . Everyone must be tested, and found without spot or

wrinkle or any such thing. . . .

"At this time above all others it behooves every soul to heed the Saviour's

admonition: 'Watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.' Mark 13:33."

—The Great Controversy,

page 490.

The restoration of the image of God in man is intimately related to the work

of judgment and the coming of Christ. May this last lesson help us to acquire

more fully the restoration of the image of God in us so that Christ may soon

come.

LESSON OUTLINE

A New Nature, Col. 3:8-10

A Holy Life, Eph. 4:24, 25

A Part of Christ, 1 Cor. 12:11-13, 27

Fellowship With Others, 1 John 1:6, 7

An Ambassador for God, 2

Cor. 5:17, 18

Awaiting the Lord, Titus 2:11-13

A New Creature

LESSON 13



❑

Sunday

June 22

"But now you must yourselves lay aside all anger, passion,

malice, cursing, filthy talk—have done with them! Stop lying

to one another, now that you have discarded the old nature

with its deeds and have put on the new nature, which is

being constantly renewed in the image of its Creator and

brought to know God." Col. 3:8-10, NEB.

Two aspects of the restoration of the image of God in man

stand out very clearly in this text. First, the change that makes

possible the restoration of the image of God in man, on the

one hand, is a one-time act, brought about by Christ. On the

other hand, it is a continuing process. The change that oc-

curred once is

"being constantly renewed in the image of its

Creator."

The second aspect of the restoration of the image of God

in man is that it is not an event or an experience that takes

place without some form of human involvement. In the text

(Col. 3:8-10) human activity stands out very clearly from such

expressions as: "Lay aside," "have done withi" "stop lying,"

"discard," "put on," et cetera. The renewal of our nature into

the image of God is based on the fact that Christ has already

begun His work in us. We cooperate with Christ in remaking

us in the image of God. The restoration of the image of God

in man does not take place without human involvement. We

must want to be changed, desire to have a new nature, let

Christ work in us and live in us. But even that desire is created

by God, so that the new man is a creation of God, created out

of nothing.

How does man acquire the new nature? Rom. 13:12, 14;

Eph. 4:24.

The key term is "to put on." But the new nature, compared

here with a garment, is not put on over the old one. The new

nature is not a cover. The restoration of the image of God in

man is an exchange of natures. In fact, in the words of the

apostle Paul, the old nature is crucified with Christ and buried,

and the new nature is a new creation that has come to life

by the Word of God.

THINK IT THROUGH



Am I constantly renewed in the image of God? In what

ways am I not?

"Those who are indeed purifying their souls by obeying the

truth will have a most humble opinion of themselves. The more

closely they view the spotless character of Christ, the stronger

will be their desire to be conformed to His image, and the less

will they see of purity or holiness in themselves. But while we

should realize our sinful condition, we are to rely upon Christ

as our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption."

—Testimonies,

Vol. 5, pp. 471, 472.

FURTHER STUDY



The Acts of the Apostles,

pages 540-542, 557-560.

104

Part 1

A NEW NATURE

New Creature

LESSON '13



Monday

June

Part



What are some characteristics of the new being, re-created

A HOLY LIFE

in the image of God?

"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is

created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore put-

ting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour:

for we are members one of another." Eph. 4:24, 25.

The characteristics of the person who is re-created in the

image of God are the

character of Jesus Christ.

The life of

Christ was characterized by a union with God, on whom His

whole life and person depended, and by love for His fellowmen,

for whom He sacrificed Himself. Christ invites us to follow Him.

What power has God made available to men to live a holy

life? 2 Thess. 2:13, 14. See also Acts 10:38.

"In the plan of restoring in men the divine image, it was

provided that the Holy Spirit should move upon human minds,

and be as the presence of Christ, a molding agency upon hu-

man character."—Ellen G. White,

Review and Herald,

Feb. 12,

1895.

Can a person re-created in the image of God avoid sin-

ning? 1 John 3:5, 6.

Each child of God is called to be pure, as Christ is pure. As

His child we will be able to say No to sin. Sin has put its mark

on us; but, re-created in God's image through Christ our Lord,

we should stop committing sins. "We need not retain one sinful

propensity....

"As we partake of the divine nature, hereditary and culti-

vated tendencies to wrong are cut away from the character,

and we are made a living power for good."—Ellen G. White

Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

Vol. 7, p. 943.

THINK IT THROUGH



How does the restoration of the image of God in man

relate to the coming of Christ?

"Are we striving with all our power to attain to the stature

of men and women in Christ? Are we seeking for His fullness,

ever pressing toward the mark set before us—the perfection

of His character? When the Lord's people reach this mark,

they will be sealed in their foreheads. Filled with the Spirit,

they will be complete in Christ, and the recording angel will

declare, 'It is finished.'

"—Our High Calling,

page 150.

FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"The Test of Discipleship," pages 64, 65.

Christ's Object Lessons,

"First the Blade, Then the Ear," page

69.

105

A New Creature

LESSON 13



❑

Tuesday

June 24

Part 3



What illustration does Paul use to teach the close rela-

A PART

tionship of believers to Jesus? 1 Cor. 12:11-13, 27.

OF CHRIST

The heart of the Pauline teaching on the new life is that the

believer is a part of Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul uses the term "body of Christ" in his

epistles to four different churches. The new creature is united

to the person and the life of Jesus Christ. It does not mean

primarily that the person belongs to a body of believers, as the

term has been interpreted later. What counts primarily is that

the new creature is spiritually linked with Christ. His fellowship

with others is a result of that union, not the other way around.

Notice that the Bible speaks of that union with Christ as being

"one flesh," much the same as husband and wife are one

flesh. See 2 Cor. 11:2; 1 Cor. 6:15-20; Eph. 5:22-32.

How does a person become—and remain—a part of the

body of Christ? Rom. 6:3-11; 1 Cor. 11:24-32.

Christ Himself instructed His followers to be baptized as a

sign of the new life with Him. Mark 16:15, 16. And Christ Him-

self, likewise, instituted the sacred ordinance of the Lord's

Supper to nurture that holy union with Him. Participation in the

Lord's Supper aids the new creature in remaining part of the

very life and personality of the risen Christ.

THINK IT THROUGH



How is benefit gained from the Lord's Supper? See Further

Study reference.

"When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united

with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes

one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to

Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with

the garment of His righteousness."—Christ's

Object Lessons,

page 312.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pages 656-661.

106

A New Creature

LESSON 13



❑

Wednesday

June

Part 4

FELLOWSHIP

WITH OTHERS

"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in

darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the

light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with an-

other, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from

all sin." 1 John 1:6, 7.

Participation in the body of Christ means also participation

in the life of other people. The closer one comes to Christ, the

closer one also grows in fellowship with others. If a person

says, I am in Christ, and lives a life in isolation from others, he

deceives himself and others. The meaning of fellowship, how-

ever, is not that as individuals we have relationships with oth-

ers, but a life in communion with others.

What is the nature of our fellowship with others? 1 John

4:7-12, 20, 21.

There is an indissoluble connection between the restoration

of man's union with God and love toward others. As the apostle

Peter says, "Now that by obedience to the truth you have puri-

fied your souls until you feel sincere affection towards your

brother Christians, love one another whole-heartedly with all

your strength." 1 Peter 1:22, NEB.

How all-inclusive is this love for our fellowmen to be?

Matt. 5:38-48. See also Acts 7:60.

The restoration of the image of God shows itself in a per-

son's attitude toward others. Following Christ's example, the

new creature is to relate to others as God has related to us.

The love of Christ that compels us has nothing to do with the

question whether the other person arouses affection in me or

not. To love him—as Christ loved us—means this: to be for

him and not against him, to help him, to forgive him, to do

good and not evil to him. It is obvious that such a love is not

spontaneously generated in us. It is a gift of God, who re-cre-

ates us in His own image.

THINK IT THROUGH



Meditate on 1 Corinthians 13.

"Love is the evidence of . . . discipleship. 'By this shall all

men know that ye are My disciples,' said Jesus, `if ye have

love one to another.' When men are bound together, not by

force or self-interest, but by love, they show the working of an

influence that is above every human influence.

Where this

oneness exists, it is evidence that the image of God is being

restored in humanity,

that a new principle of life has been im-

planted."—The

Desire of Ages,

page 678. (Emphasis supplied.)

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pages 674-680.

107

A New Creature

LESSON 13



❑

Thursday

June 26

Part 5

AN AMBASSA-

DOR FOR GOD

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:

old things are passed away, behold, all things are become

new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to

himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of

reconciliation." 2 Cor. 5:17, 18.

Anyone who is united to Christ is also united to the work

of Christ, "for the love of Christ controls us." 2 Cor. 5:14, RSV.

What did Jesus commission His followers to do? Matt.

28:18-20.

"The Saviour's commission to the disciples included all the

believers. It includes all the believers in Christ to the end of

time. . . . For this work the church was established, and all

who take upon themselves its sacred vows are thereby pledged

to be co-workers with Christ."—The

Desire of Ages,

page 822.

By what means is the mission of the new creature accom-

plished? Mark 16:15-20.

Mission consists of

proclamation

(evangelism, teaching),

ser-

vice

(healing, helping, education, et cetera) and

communion

(church, worship, fellowship). Proclamation without service and

communion is like "sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." To

have service and communion without proclaiming the Word

of God with clarity and conviction is like giving a pain reliever

to a person who needs surgery. It is, in fact, not a service at all.

What is the relationship between mission and the restora-

tion of the image of God in man? 2 Cor. 5:18 through 6:2.

"Millions upon millions have never so much as heard of God

or of His love revealed in Christ. It is their right to receive this

knowledge. They have an equal claim with us in the Saviour's

mercy. And it rests with us who have received the knowledge

. . . to answer their

cry."—Education,

page 263.

THINK IT THROUGH



Why can only the person in whom the image of God has

been restored be a good missionary?

"As Christ is the channel for the revelation of the Father, so

we are to be the channel for the revelation of Christ. . . . The

church of Christ, every individual disciple of the Master, is

heaven's appointed channel for the revelation of God to men.

Angels of glory wait to communicate through you heaven's

light and power to souls that are ready to

perish."—Thoughts

From the Mount of Blessing,

page 40.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pages 825-827.

108

New Creature

LESSON 13



❑

Friday

June

Part 6

AWAITING

THE LORD

In view of salvation, what elements should the Christian's

manner of life include?

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath ap-

peared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and

worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly,

in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the

glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus

Christ." Titus 2:11-13.

When Adam sinned, he hid himself from God. That attitude

is characteristic of all people who do not bear the image

of God. And worse: Some scoff at the idea that the coming of

Christ is at hand. 2 Peter 3:3, 4. The more we bear the image of

our Maker, the stronger will be the desire to be wholly united

with Him and to know Him as we have been known.

In six parables Jesus emphasized the importance of readi-

ness and watchfulness: the porter (Mark 13:34-37), the master

of the house (Matt. 24:43, 44), the faithful and unfaithful ser-

vants (Matt. 24:45-51), the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1-13), the talents

(Matt. 25:14-30) and the sheep and the goats (Matt. 25:31-46).

How is Christ preparing the world today for His return to

earth? Rev. 14:6, 7.

"At the time appointed for the judgment—the close of the

2300 days, in 1844—began the work of investigation and blot-

ting out of sins. . . . Both the living and the dead are to be

judged 'out of those things which were written in the books,

according to their works.'

"Sins that have not been repented of and forsaken will not

be pardoned and blotted out of the books of record, but will

stand to witness against the sinner in the day of God."

"Those who would share the benefits of the Saviour's media-

tion should permit nothing to interfere with their duty to perfect

holiness in the fear of God."

"We are now living in the great day of atonement. . . All

who would have their names retained in the book of life should

now, in the remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls

before God by sorrow for sin and true repentance."—The

Great

Controversy,

pages 486-490.

"Watch ye therefore: . . . lest coming suddenly He find you

sleeping." Mark 13:35, 36.

THINK IT THROUGH



What do I lack in the work of restoring God's image to be

ready for the judgment?

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

Vol. 5, pp. 472-476.

109

LESSONS FOR THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1975

Sabbath School members who have not received a copy of the Adult

Lessons for the third quarter of 1975 will be helped by the following

outline in studying the first two lessons. The title of the series is "Faith

in Action" which is a study of the Epistles of First and Second Timothy

and Titus.

First lesson:

"Introducing Two Young Men of Faith." Memory verse,

2 Tim. 1:5 and Titus 1:4. Lesson outline is as follows: (1) Timothy Meets

Paul, Acts 14:19, 20; 16:1a. (2) Timothy's Family Life, Acts 16:1b; 2 Tim.

1:5. (3) Timothy's Character, Acts 16:2. (4) A Snapshot of Timothy,

1 Tim. 4:12. (5) Paul's Co-worker, 2 Tim. 3:10, 11. (6) Titus, the Other

Son, Titus 1:4.

Second lesson:

"The Purpose of Theology." Memory verse, 1 Tim. 1:4.

Lesson outline is as follows: (1) The Challenge of Ephesus, 1 Tim. 1:3.

(2) Authentic Credentials, 1 Tim. 1:1. (3) Faith Misunderstood, 1 Tim.

1:3, 4. (4) Aim of Doctrine, 1 Tim. 1:5. (5) Faith Exalts the Law, 1 Tim.

1:8-11. (6) Paul, an Example of Faith and Love, 1 Tim. 1:12-17.

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G echoslovakian

Franco-Belgian

ungarian

Wiz

Romanian

German

European

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■

tom

Yugoslavian

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Unions

Church



S.S.

Population Churches Members Members

Angola

5,430,000

28,630

46,626

Austrian

7,460,000

2,636

3,136

Bulgarian Church

8,540,000

2,803

2,940

Czechoslovakian

14,410,000

129

7,421

10,200

Equatorial African

15,590,000

16,067

31,159

Franco-Belgian

61,260,000

122

6,918

4,377

German Dem. Rep.

17,050,000

327

11,706

13,417

Hungarian

10,350,000

144

5,541

Indian Ocean

8,993,000

152

9,049

12,412

Mozambique

7,360,000

14,395

27,026

Romanian

20,470,000

520

40,864

52,857

South German

29,808,200222

13,188

15,047

Southern European

109,020,000

143

12,532

12,497

Swiss

6,320,000

4,005

3,543

West German

31,494,615

199

12,731 15,121

Yugoslavian

20,550,000

270

10,460

10,010

No. African Mission

35,140,000

Senegal Mission

18,500,000

150

Division Totals

427,745,815

2,578

199,129

266,059

(Figures as of 4th quarter, 1973)

Angola

Equatorial African

Indian

Ocean

Mozambique

African

ssion

Senegal

Mission